Cutting down to the Top 8

Tonight's show opens with cool-looking Japanese-themed performance by the group to So Much Betta by Janet Jackson. I'm guessing Wade Robeson did this. Yep! I was right. (His wife helped too.)

Cat announces that SYTYCD has received 4 Emmy nominiations for choreography. Mia Michaels for "Mercy" performed by Twitch & Katie. Hell yeah. Tabitha & Napoleon for "Bleeding Love" performed by Chelsea and Mark. Yes. Tyce Diorio for "Silence" performed by Jessica and Will, and Dmitry Chaplin for "A Los Amigos" performed by Chelsea and Joshua. WOW--all great dances. I'll find and post them in a bit. "Mercy's" my favorite of the group. The makeup department got nominated too. Yay!

Just Debbie and Mary are on board tonight. Nigel is not there because he is receiving an honorary degree in England. Good for him.

Tonight the dancers with the least amount of votes will say goodbye. The bottom two girls are: Randi and MELISSA?! Well, I guess someone had to wind up there, and Melissa, Janette, Jeanene and Kayla are strong dancers. The girls will "dance for their lives" even though they can't change the vote.

The bottom two guys are: Okay, wait. Evan was SAFE before Ade AND Brandon?! I thought for sure Evan would be in the bottom two with Kupono. OK, back to the results: Kupono is in danger tonight, as is ADE. WTF?! Are you kidding me?! Just last night I was saying how "America" usually makes better decisions on this show than American Idol and they go and do this?!?!?!?! ARRRRGGGH!!!

Here come the solos again--the dancers repeat what they did last night. Randi's first. Mary advised Randi that if she makes it through, she needs to take more chances. Debbie said that Randi might've been a casualty of the Paso Doble.

Kupono dances and said he just wasn't strong in the Paso Doble or his solo. They didn't ask Debbie's thoughts. (Or maybe they did and I just wasn't paying attention???)

Melissa's turn. Debbie says that if Melissa gets past tonight, she has to do more in her solo.

Ade's up. I loved his Righteous Bros solo just as much as I did last night. Why is he here????? Mary said that Ade is a STAR and she doesn't know what they could tell him to do differently.

Before we get the results, we get to see The Black Eyed Peas singing I Gotta Feeling. Wow--they really threw a party on the stage--confetti and everything. Ive been meaning to write about their new CD forever. Except for a week of Michael Jackson music, The E.N.D. is all I've listened to for the past month or so. LOVE IT! One thing I'm confused about is why it doesn't have a Parental Control sticker on it. Have they relaxed the rules? On this CD you hear "Bitch," the "N" word, "ding-a-ling" as in "the girls want ding-a-ling" in a song about booty calls; and in one song Will.i.am says something about a semen bank. Now, I'm not a prude--these things don't bother me at all. I was just surprised that I had no warning. The words don't matter though...the music on all the songs just makes you want to get up and move. I absolutely love it.

OK, back to business. The girl going home tonight is: Randi. No surprise there. I'm going to miss her though. Next week is going to be REALLY difficult among the rest of the girls.

The guy going home is....Kupono. Again, no surprise. What a character this guy is with his crazy outfits. I wish him well.

What? Ellen DeGeneres will be on the judges panel next week. Interesting.

As promised, here are the Emmy-nominated performances:

Mercy


Bleeding Love


Unfortunately, I couldn't find a good version of "Silence" and "A Los Amigos"on YouTube. Instead I find people's horrible recordings from the show's tour.

And finally, here are my three favorite performances from last night:

Ade & Janette


Jeanine and Jason (embedding was disabled on this one)

Dang. I couldn't find Ade's solo. I'll try again tomorrow.

'Night!

Time for the SYTYCD top 10

It's 9:30pm (EDT) and I'm just starting the show on Tivo. A friend posted on Facebook, "you can't tell me Janette isn't great" so I look forward to seeing Jeanette perform. (Last week I was wondering how Jeanette would do without Brandon.)

Debbie Allen's on this week. Yay! This week the dancers get new partners, and the judges are no longer involved in who stays and goes. It's all up to America. I must say, "America" makes better decisions on this show than they do with American Idol, so I feel okay about that. Also, America is voting for individuals this week, not couples.

Before we get to the couples, we get to see the girls doing a Bollywood routine. This should be fun. They're dancing to Dholna from Pyar Ke Geet (soundtrack). WOW. The dance was fantastic! What an aerobic routine! Each of the girls did a great job...they were completely in sync. Nigel said he can't pick out one dancer that stood out more than the others because each of the five had everything. Mary said they were stunning and that she could see any of the five girls in the final. Debbie agreed and said this is the top 5 group of ladies that show has ever had.

This week Kayla drew Evan's name for her partner. Evan points out that Kayla's the tallest girl and that he's the shortest guy which could make ballroom a little challenging. And guess what--they get to do the Viennese Waltz! They're dancing to Kiss from a Rose by Seal. Because of their height difference, Kayla's dancing barefoot and Evan's shoes have heels. She looks amazing and I find that my eyes are constantly drawn to her. Nigel didn't see this as a Viennese Waltz and more as a fast waltz (he bascially reprimanded Tony Meredith, the choreographer). BUT, Nigel gave Kayla and Evan props for dancing it well. Mary dinged Evan for plodding along and not gliding, but she liked the way he did the lifts. For Kayla, she said "Wow!" and that her movement & quality was much better. Debbie Allen told Evan, "you handled your big woman." Haha!!

Brandon comes out for his solo to In Your Eyes by Jeffrey Gaines. Talk about a powerful dancer. I love watching him.

Next up, Janette and Ade. Another big height difference. She's the shortest girl, he's the tallest guy. Ade is wearing a gem-studded pick in his 'fro during the interviews--love it! They're doing a Napoleon/Tabitha hip-hop routine. The theme of the dance is that Ade needs to give Jeanette some funk...which seems to be the case in real life. They're dancing to Love Sex Magic by Ciara feat. Justin Timberlake. That was a fun routine. Ade was great as always--he moves so easily, and as Nigel said, "he's got funk." Janette definitely held her own...she found the funk! Mary said, "That was funky!" Debbie said, "whoo honey, these children wore me out!" I love Debbie Allen! She said they were mesmerizing together. Indeed.

Randi's solo to Dream by Priscilla Ahn is next. I like Randi but she looked like she almost got away from herself.

Kupono dances solo to Marina Gasolina by Bonde De Role. He's got interesting moves.

Travis Wall from season 2 is choreographing the next lyrical routine for Jeanine and Jason. It's Travis' first time choreographing. Aw...I'm just having flashbacks to the park bench routine. Travis has dark hair now and somehow he looks younger than before. They're dancing to If It Kills Me (The Casa Nova Sessions) by Jason Mraz. That routine was AMAZING. I've watched it three times. One of the most passionate on the show. There's a part where it looks like they're tearing each other's clothes off and I felt like I shouldn't be watching--then, it ended with a kiss. A LONG kiss!!! Whoo! HOT! When it was over, Jeanine leapt into Jason's arms. The judges gave a standing "O." Nigel said Travis' routine was "fabulous work that was only bettered by the two people that danced it." Nigel pointed out that it's the first time Jeanine was able to dance with a partner who matched her skills. Mary called them "stars!" and was moved to tears when acknowledging Travis' progression through the show. Debbie said this is a magical pairing.

Melissa's solo is next. She's dancing to Gabriel by Lamb. I love watching Melissa dance en pointe.

Evan's solo is to Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart by Rufus Wainwright. Evan looks dapper dancing to the big band sound. He's so fun to watch and ended the routine with a nice aerial.

Kayla's dancing to Rock Your Soul by Elisa. Gorgeous.

And what's this? Tivo stopped recording at 1 hour and 8 minutes! WTF?!?! I hope my backup recording upstairs worked....

It did. Phew!

OK, time for Randi and Kupono. They're doing a Paso Doble routine to Dies Irae by Karl Jenkins. The scenes from rehearsal didn't leave me very confident in what we're about to see. Hey! Randi's hair grew 10 inches over night! Amazing. I think Randi's doing great, but Kupono is not powerful enough. It seemed like she was in control of him and not the other way around. He's the matador and needs to stand strong! Kupono needs to watch Strictly Ballroom. Nigel said the dancing wasn't as good as the choreography and that Kupono didn't carry the strength. This is the strongest the male dancer has to be in any routine and Kupono didn't manage. Nigel also didn't like Randi's wig. Mary said they didn't rise to the challenge. Debbie said there may not have been trust between the two since they're new partners, so some of the moves were awkward.

Ade dances his solo to the Righteous Brothers' Unchained Melody. His OUTSTANDING solo. Best of the night. He did a back layout that was six feet off the ground! WOW. He's my favorite. Love that smile, too!

Jeanine's solo is to Violento (Up Mix) by Bailongo! Good routine that showed off her technical ability nicely.

Jason is up next. Dancing to Train Fare Home by Muddy Waters He also had a great solo. He wore suspenders and a newsboy cap that went great with the Muddy Waters song.

Melissa and Brandon. They're both so strong--this should be good. Another height challenge. Melissa's a little bit taller. They're doing a Tyce Diorio routine to a song from Hair. The song is Aquarius from the new Broadway cast's soundtrack. Melissa looks gorgeous as a flower child. They did a great job--the routine was so dreamy. Nigel points out that in the original Hair, choreographed by Twyla Tharp, may have been the first time white girls danced with black girls. Nigel said it brought back lots of memories. Mary said it was unbelievable, and "groooovy baby." Debbie said they evoked real harmony, and that it was a joy to watch.

Geez this is a long-ass show!

Here's Janette with the final solo to This is Miami by Sander Kleinenberg She was saucy! I hope she draws one of the Latin dances soon--I'd love to see it.

OK, that's it, but before I go, I wanted to post the Park Bench routine from season two. Still beautiful after all this time. I get goosebumps when Heidi leaps from the bench into Travis' arms.

Dang. I posted this blog without having seen the end of the show! There's still a guys' dance to be seen. I LOVE So You Think You Can Dance, but THIS SHOW IS TOO LONG.

Anyway, the guys will be doing an African dance. Just realizing that Evan's the only person without color there, and he seems SO uncomfortable. The guys are dancing to Balant Funk by Ayanda Clarke & Shawn Kelly. I think Ade and Kupono stood out on this one. The moves of the dance are very similar to what Kupono does. Wait? Do I hear a go-go beat in that song? All they need is a cowbell! Wow...that was really good. ALL the guys did a great job. I agree with Cat--I'm exhausted from watching the routine! Nigel said Evan looked like a dancing milkshake. BUT...no one stood out as a sore thumb. Mary adored the routine and gave credit to Evan for holding his own. Debbie Allen points out that African dance is the mother of all the other styles (hip-hop, jazz...). Debbie was proud of them all because "you cannot just get up and do this."

OK. Now it's really over.

We get down to the SYTYCD Top 10

The show opens with a very cool Tabitha & Napoleon routine to Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes. Cat announces that today is Nigel's 60th birthday. Happy Birthday, Nigel!

Nigel then announced that he didn't know if the decision was made by Sony or the Jackson family estate, but the show could not clear Michael Jackson's music for use in a tribute show. That's a shame--that would've been a really exciting show.

OK, the bottom three couples were:

* Jason/Kaitlin
* Phillip/Jeanine (This was a surprise! it was between them and Randi/Evan, who I thought might be in trouble after their Samba.)
* And WTF?! Ade and Melissa?!?!?!?!?!?! It's their first time in the bottom three.

Nigel gave a long speech about how the judges pretty much already know who they want to remain in the competition. The dancers CAN change their minds in their solos, BUT, they have to really bring it. Based on that speech, and on the judges comments last night, I think Jason & Kaitlin are really in trouble.

Here come the solos:

* Kaitlin, Stand By Me by Playing for Change.
* Jason, Calm Touching by Evaline.
* Jeanine, Baby's Romance by Chris Garneau
* Phillip, The Diva Dance from The Fifth Element soundtrack
* Melissa, Kashira by Kodo (FANTASTIC! I love her.)
* Ade, Windowdipper by Jib Kidder (Woooo!!!!!)

OK, based on solos and the whole season, I'd say good by to Kaitlin and Jason--they've been in the bottom three times already. Phillip could be in trouble too, even though he has shown improvement. Let's see what the judges say.

DJ so-and-so (couldn't catch the name) and Kelly Rowland come out to perform "When Love Takes Over." Speaking of Kelly Rowland, I am enjoying her Project Runway knockoff, The Fashion Show on Bravo. Her song tonight was a'ight. It reminded me of another song, but I can't place it.

The results are in--the judges are unanimous.

The two girls they'd like to stay are: Jeanine and Melissa. I think she Kaitlin knew it was her before Nigel told her goodbye.

The judges are unamimous on the guys too.

Phillip is going tonight. BUT, Nigel announced that Phillip AND Kaitlin will be going on the SYTYCD tour. That's awesome! Nigel also mentioned that last night's Russian dance was NOT taken into account in the judges' decision. That's good to know because it would be completely unfair.

Here are my favs from last night:

Melissa and Ade (check out how great Ade is at this style!):


Kayla and Kupono:


Jeanette and Brandon (I LOVED THIS!):

SYTYCD - top 12 perform

OK. Here's the run down of tonight's performances:

1. Melissa/Ade, Disco - Move On Up by Destination
2. Kayla/Kupono, Contemporary (Mia Michaels) - Gravity by Sara Bareilles
3. Kaitlin/Jason, Fox Trot - Minnie the Moocher by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
4. Jeanine/Phillip, Russian Folk Dance - Kalinka by BARYNYA
5. Randi/Evan, Hip-Hop - Halo by Beyonce
6. Jeanette/Brandon, Argentine Tango - Libertango from Forever Tango (original Broadway cast album)

On to the second half of the show. Oh no--starting next week the dancers will be paired with someone new. Here come the couples' last dances together.

7. Melissa/Ade, Waltz - (You Make Me Feel Like a) Natural Woman by Mary J. Blige
8. Kayla/Kupono, Broadway - The Dance At the Gym from West Side Story (The New Broadway cast - who I saw in DC several months ago before they headed to Broadway!)
9. Kaitlin/Jason, Lyrical Jazz - Show Me Heaven by Maria McKee
10. Jeanine/Phillip, Jive - Stuff Like That There by Bette Midler
11. Randi/Evan, Samba (Pasha & Anya. I love me some Pasha!) - Ritmo de Bom Bom by Jubaba
12. Jeanette/Brandon, Jazz (Wade Robson! Love him!) - Ruby Blue by Roisin Murphy

My thoughts:

Melissa/Ade's Disco - WOW. Best Disco I've seen despite their losing the final pose. Ade's look was perfect. The spins and lifts were amazing and I'm convinced these two can do anything. I was talking earlier with my friend Erika about how neither of us really having a favorite this season, but you know what? I think these two are it for me. They're amazing.

Kayla/Kupono's Contemporary - Again, wow. Mia's piece was about addiction. Very powerful. Kupono was the addiction, and he talked about how his family & friend's experience with addiction almost destroyed them. I think you could feel that through the whole dance. It even brought tears to Mia's eyes.

Randi/Evan's hip-hop - this hip-hop was very romantic; Randi's character just learns she's pregnant, then Evan proposed to her. It wasn't hard hitting or anything like that--it was very smooth, and I love these two. They have great chemistry. It's too bad she's married--they make a really cute couple.

Jeanette/Brandon's Argentine Tango. Another fantastic dance. The judges gave a standing "O." Nigel said it was the closest thing to perfection he's seen on this stage ever. They were powerful, their kicks were sharp, the footwork was complicated, and they got it all. I loved it!

I was only going to write about the dances I liked most, and here I've already written about four of the first six routines. I wasn't expecting that. These dancers seem to be giving it all tonight. Being in the Top 10 is on the line!

Wow--Melissa and Ade's waltz was gorgeous. Loved it. Ade was so attentive to Melissa. Melissa looked beautiful. I'm so sorry to see them split apart after this.

I'd like the say that Tyce Diorio is back in my good graces again. He was on the judges' panel tonight and throughout he gave such constructive criticism, as well as very gracious compliments--he seemed thoroughly happy to see this kids perform. His obnoxious side was no where to be seen tonight.

And finally, I loved Jeanette & Brandon's quirky jazz routine. It was playful and so fun to watch. I loved the song. Mary said they saved the best for last--just about!

WOW...I can't decide who should be sent home after tonight's show. My guess is that Kaitlin & Jason could be in trouble. They just weren't exciting tonight. They looked lovely in the fox trot and their lyrical dance was cute, but they don't stand out in comparison with everyone else. We'll find out tomorrow!

Summer doings

I've been reading.

Mercury in Retrograde: A Novel by Paula Froelich

rating: 3 of 5 stars

I saw Paula Froelich on Real Time with Bill Maher a while back and really liked her spunk and wit. Based on that, I looked forward to reading her first novel. Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed. Though a bit of that spunk and wit does come through in Froelich's writing, much of the story is quite formulaic and predictable. The story is about three young women in NYC who find each other at tumultuous times in their lives. I've already seen much of Penelope's storyline in Bridget Jones' Diary. The character of Lena reminded me of one of the characters from "Lipstick Jungle," and Dana was reminiscent of Jennifer Weiner's characters. This is a light, easy--even fun--summer read, but I wouldn't run to the stores to buy it.


I've been watching TV.

I'm loving Nurse Jackie, Royal Pains, True Blood and The Philanthropist. Mental and NYC Prep not so much.

I've been going to the movies.

Loved The Hangover and really liked The Proposal. The only problem with The Proposal is that it's so damn predictable. There's one scene that they seemed to lift straight out of While You Were Sleeping. Still, I love Sandra Bullock--she was great, and Ryan Reynolds is a doll, and damn, look at those abs!

I've been traveling.

Took a fun trip to Chicago with Debbie and our friend Traci over the Fourth of July weekend. I can now say that in addition to NYC, I also ♥ Chicago. We didn't want to come home. I'll get pictures posted soon.

Hope everyone's having a great summer!

RIP Michael Jackson

We got news early this afternoon that Farrah Fawcett lost her horrible battle with cancer. Before that news could even sink in, news that Michael Jackson was rushed to the hospital with cardiac arrest started hitting the airwaves. TMZ announced around 5:15pm eastern than Michael passed away. The other news outlets didn't confirm that news until 6:00pm or later. Wow. What a shock. He was 50 years old and was just about to go on a comeback tour around the world. So sad.

On the radio, several stations played MJ's music all night. Man, that music brings back SO many memories. I remember friends in Omaha doing a dance routine to Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough. Me, my sister and my cousins doing our own routine to Rock with You in front of the whole family at Grandma and Grandpa's house. Seeing the "Moonwalk" for the first time during his performance of Billie Jean on the Motown 25 special. That is something I will never forget. The next day at school, everyone was trying to do the moonwalk. Suddenly everyone was wearing penny loafers, high-water pants and thick white socks.

Then came the videos: Billie Jean, Beat It. I heard Beat It on the radio this evening and I can picture his movements as he's singing "Beat It, Beat It, no one wants to be defeated!" right after the "brawl" so clearly in my head. Then came Thriller. Wow. It was a movie! It's funny that when young people see the dance now (like in Ferris Bueller when it's on TV or those lizards dancing in the Sobe commercial), they think it's something new. The Thriller Dance will live forever.

Smooth Criminal, my 2nd favorite MJ video after Thriller, had that cool move at 3 minutes and 25 seconds where MJ and dancersdo that cool lean. (I still wonder how they did that....)

I remember riding in a car with friends and having a debate about whether Off the Wall or Thriller is the better album. (Answer: Off the Wall!) One friend insisted it was Thriller, but she was outnumbered three to one. As I heard on a retrospective tonight, Off the Wall is a perfect album. I've already pulled it out to listen to while I'm working tomorrow.

One funny memory I have is watching Michael Jackson Live in Bucharest on HBO with my grandma. She was a little disturbed by his outfit. I don't remember the circumstances, but for some reason, I arrived in Omaha a day before the rest of my family did, so I had Grandma to myself, and she indulged and watched the concert all the way through.

My sister does a great imitation of the various singers at the end of Black and White...especially the girl at 5 minutes and 30 seconds. She cracks me up every time.

There are plenty more songs that I loved, but one of my favorites was Do You Remember the Time. That gets lots of play on the iPod. And Eddie Murphy, Iman and Magic Johnson in the video? Too much! I love with Magic shakes his head and says "That was cold" after Iman sent a guy to the lions for not entertaining her.

Michael was an amazing entertainer. No one can move like him, though some do come close (Usher, Justin Timberlake). It's sad that despite all his talent and fame, he lead such a troubled life. Anytime I hear his music, I'll enjoy these memories. I do hope he rests in peace.

RIP also, Farrah Fawcett and Ed McMahon who passed earlier this week. Sad, sad news.

I'm Down by Mishna Wolff

I'm Down: a memoir by Mishna Wolff

rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is Mishna's Wolff's memoir about her dad and her childhood. Mishna and her family are white, but Mishna grew up in a poor black neighborhood. And, her father thought he was black. He used to be a hippie, but when they moved to the new neighborhood, he cut his hair and got a curly perm. Mishna found herself "too white" for the kids in her neighborhood, and when she transfers to a "rich school," she doesn't fit in there either because she's poor and "too ghetto." I really enjoyed this book, and find Mishna Wolff to be a good writer. I'd like to rate it 3.5 stars, because it's not quite four, and three makes it seem like I didn't like it that much. I can't quite rate it a four, because some of the stuff with Mishna's dad gets a little monotonous and I found myself infuriated with him, and with Mishna's reaction to him as the same type of scene happened over and over. Still, there are some really funny scenarios throughout, and also some that are touching, and even troubling. It's a quick read and I recommend it.

2nd Thursday vote-off on SYTYCD

The show opened with a Mia Michaels routine to Stevie Wonder's Higher Ground. I absolutely loved this routine. The guys and girls were in black suits, white shirts and ties. The very beginning reminded me of Pink Floyd's The Wall. There were a lot of African moves in it, but at the same time, the dancers looked futuristic & robotic. Very cool.

I still haven't seen the final two performances from last night, but I discovered that they recorded on my Tivo upstairs, so I can catch them later! Nice to have a backup! My friend Erika tells me I didn't miss much anyway, so I'm not too concerned. (Still doesn't explain why the downstairs Tivo stopped recording....)

They did a quick montage of people's reaction to Lil C's commentary--funny! Some examples of what he said: "The primary focus of all obstacles is to induce labor so progression can be born"; "There's a certain divinity to your movement and that subtle approach may be a hindrance"; "You are modifying your manipulation of movement." Everyone just looked confused. Lil C took it well--he was cracking up!

Here come the results:

Melissa/Ade - Safe!

Kaitlin/Jason and Jeanine/Phillip (this was one I didn't see-- a Tony Meredith tango) are left on the stage. Sounds like Jeanine did okay, Phillip not so much. Kaitlin and Jason are in the bottom three. I thought that might happen (it's true--check out the comments section from my last post!)

Next three couples: Janette/Brandon; Karla/Jonathon; and Ashley/Kupono (the other routine I didn't see--they did a Shane Sparks hip-hop routine. The judges panned it.)

Janette and Brandon are safe!

Karla and Jonathon were in the bottom three last week, but not tonight! They're safe. That leaves Ashley and Kupono to dance for their lives.

Next up: Randi/Evan; Asuka/Vitolio and Kayla/Max.

Before getting to the results, they showed that Evan's brother Ryan showed up for the Season 6 auditions. He's going to Vegas, folks! Yay! I really like him!

Randi and Evan are safe!

Asuka and Vitolio were in the bottom three last week, and this week, they're safe! (Notice a pattern?).

Nigel said this is the first time we've had three completely different couples in the bottom three than we had in week one.

Time for some culture. Each week they'll feature a dance from around this world. This week it's dance from India (I don't know if what she did is classified as Bollywood or not). Oh my--I just got dizzy from all the spins this lady did...TWENTY of them! WOW. That lady was amazing.

Kaitlin comes out to dance her solo to Adele's Make You Feel My Love (I love this song) - Kaitlin's performance showed of her gracefulness and athleticism. Lovely.

Jason dances to Robin Thicke's Superman. Wow...Jason is so talented and athletic too. (And have I mentioned how cute he is?)

Ashley - Coco Rosie's By Your Side. Her performance was very unique and I enjoyed it.

Kupono - Janelle Monae, Many Moons - Ahh...we get to see Kupono's originality again. He moves like no one else. (He's also a cutie, by the way!)

Kayla - Kerli's Walking on Air - Her routine seems frantic and rushed and desperate.

Max - Kenny Loggins, Footloose - Gosh. His routine was really good too. I don't know how they'll choose among the guys. For the girls, I think think Kaitlin is safe, but I'm not sure who will go.

The judges go backstage to vote and we get a performance from someone I've never heard of before because it's her first major TV appearance. Oh dear--she's lip synching badly. Oh, her name's Krititnia DeBarge. Hmmm....is she related to THE DeBarge's? I'll have to look into that. Her lip synching is atrocious! OK, yes, her dad is James DeBarge from THE DeBarge's original group. Terrible performance. I'd rather see the DeBarge family come out and sing one of their oldies by goodies.

Nigel says they are not unanimous on their votes tonight. Nigel would prefer not to lose any of the six, but we have to move forward. Kaitlin had "great quality of movement"; Ashley had "wonderful Hollywood glamour, but her approach to her solo was wrong because it had no substance"; Kayla, "we felt as though your solo was crowded; you were trying to throw too much in there." The person leaving tonight is Ashley. Aw....poor Ashley.

Now the guys. Jason: "we thought your solo was exceptionally strong....go and sit down, we'll see you in another week." Kupono: they didn't think there was substance in his solo, but they're impressed that he's different, an "intelligent dancer" and that he "takes on characters." Max: "Nobody could impress us more than you when it comes to hard work." The person leaving tonight is Max....Aw. He looked devastated.

So, a new couple next week: Kupono and Kayla--can't wait to see what happens!

The top 18 dancers perform on SYTYCD

Lil C is the guest judge tonight. Cat Deely introduces the judges and makes a joke about Mary not being able to look surprised anymore. (Mary made an announcement last week that she uses Botox.) Then we get to learn a little bit about the dancers.

First up are Randi and Evan. Randi has a dog she treats like a child. Evan built a car from scratch, all by himself. Tonight they're dancing the Jive to Ray Charles' Shake a Tail Feather. For two people who've never done Jive before, they look great! And like they're having FUN. (A joke was made during the interviews about how many times they used the word "fun.") I loved Evan's split jump over Randi while she was laid back. These two are perfectly paired. Ooh--she squeezed his tail feathers! Great start to the show! Lil C said, "Out the box with a bang." He thought they had a great partnership and it was a solid beginning to the show. When they get to Mary they run the "fun" gag for too long. Mary said these two were built for the Jive, but that it felt short a little bit. She dinged Evan for being a little sloppy. Nigel congratulated Louie, the choreographer. Did he say something about Louie being from Dancing with the Stars? Nigel said Evan should've been better...he did it with a jazz style and lost the "double bounce feel." He felt Nigel did much better job.

Melissa and Ade (reminder--it's pronounced a-DAY) are next. Facts about the dancers: Melissa and her sister married brothers. Ade's real name is....Adetokunbo Isaac Kayode Obayomi. They drew Jazz from the hat and their routine will be choreographed by Sonya. It'll be about "a high-maintenance girl who's hard to get and the cliche idea of a man who hates to lose." They'll be dancing to 24 Hours (The Ashton Shuffle A-Bomb Remix) by Terry Poison. They were great. Lil C said, "That's what's buck...." Lil C thinks Ade is everybody's competition in this show, even though it's only week two. I concur. He liked Melissa's performance too. Mary said "it's time to give some tough love...because it was REALLY TOUGH to find anything I didn't like about it!" That Mary--she sure knows how to fool us every time. (Zzzzzzz) Nigel thought it was a great routine from Sonya and that the pair danced it brilliantly.

Kaitlin and Jason - fun facts--Jason was obsessed with Michael Jackson as a kid--they showed cute video of 4-year-old Jason doing Michael's moves. Kaitlin does baby voices, and some sort of dinosaur imitation that drives Jason crazy. This week they're doing a Shane Sparks hip-hop routine. It's good to see Shane! The song is Missin You by Trey Songz. Jason is SO cute!!! And he's a stronger hip-hop dancer than Kaitlin is. It looks natural on him--on her, it looks like she's trying really hard. Lil C did not love that. He felt it was corny and missing nectar. (Whatever that means.) Mary said it seemed like Michael Jackson dancing with Britney Spears. She said the chemistry didn't work tonight. Nigel thinks Shane did a different style with these particular dancers who aren't strong hip-hoppers and that they looked good.

Janette and Brandon - Facts: Janette had bad teeth. Brandon has never worked out a day in his life. His massive muscles come from lifting girls while dancing. Not sure I believe that one.... They're dancing DISCO! Choreographer Doriana Sanchez says this is the fastest dance she's ever done on SYTYCD. Janette was struggling and came to tears during practice. Song: Loving Is Really My Game by Brainstorm. They look good, though not quite 100% synchronized. Curious to hear what Lil C has to say about Brandon since he's expressed in the past that Brandon didn't impress him. Ooh...looks like Janette tripped coming out of a spin. And their last lift/spin ended a little awkwardly. Lil C said it was extremely amazing and that Brandon did a phenomenal job. He saw Janette's mishap at the end, but liked her recovery. Mary said she's never seen a disco that fast on SYTYCD or anywhere else. Mary says they nailed it! (Hmm...maybe I need to go back and watch again.) Mary even screamed AND gave them a standing O. Nigel thought it was tremendous.

Asuka and Vitolio - Facts: Vitolio likes motorcycles. Asuka likes to blow spit bubbles. Niiiiiiice. (Grosssssss.) This week they have the waltz. Louie, the choreographer decided to make it a lyrical waltz based on Vitolio's story--he was an orphan. They're dancing to Enya's Dreams Are More Precious. It was beautiful. So graceful and lovely. They moved Mary to tears. Lil C said Vitolio's choppy steps were compensated for by the sincerity and authenticity of his emotion. (I love Lil C--who talks like that?) He said his hat's off to them. Nigel said anyone who wasn't touched by the beauty of the routine is heartless. Seems like we're seeing a different couple than we saw last week.

Kayla and Max - Max is a "house dad" at the apartment. He cooks for everyone. Kayla likes text messaging. Tonight they're dancing pop-jazz to Brian Friedman's choreography. (Yay! Brian! Love the shaved head.) Song: Hot Like Wow by Nadia Oh. I thought the dancers' technicality was great, but I didn't love the routine...it's probably more that I didn't care for the song. Lil C said Kayla was amazing and that Max picked up Brian's vernacular, whatever that means. Mary thought Max was quite a surprise, and that Kayla nailed it! Nigel said Kayla is a front runner...she's an incredible dancer. (I concur.) He said Max really kept up with her and the pair bring a lot to the program.

Karla and Jonathon - Karla is a really good hip-hop dancer, despite her contemporary training. Jonathon likes to sing...badly. This week they're dancing contemporary, and we have a new choreographer: Stacey Tookey. Aw, they're dancing to Falling Slowly by The Frames (originally from the movie Once...one of my all-time favs). They were fantastic! I absolutely loved it...very passionate. Mary said, "I have never said this in five seasons: Jonathon, you did that style better than your own!" (His own style is Salsa.) Mary said she was spellbound. Nigel said it was sensational. Lil C thought it was buck! I rewound and watched it two more times.

And then.........

My show stopped recording for some unknown reason. I wasn't home, but I wonder if there was a power blip or something. I'll have to try and catch the final two performances online tomorrow. Damn. Oh well. Thank goodness I have Karla & Jonathon's routine recorded so I can watch it over and over again.

The Ridiculous Race: 26,000 miles. 2 guys. 1 globe. No airplanes.

The Ridiculous Race by Steve Hely & Vali Chandrasekaran

rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is the story of two friends/TV writers (Steve Hely and Vali Chandrasekaran) who challenged each other to a race around the world, without airplanes. The prize is an expensive, aged bottle of scotch. In addition to finishing the race first, they also worked to have the best stories to tell...the Awesomeness Contest. I'd give Steve's portion of the book 3.5 stars, and Vali's portion 2.5. Simply put, Vali is a punk and I found him to be very annoying. Steve's stories were more interesting and insightful. The stuff that I did enjoy reading from Vali had to do with his experiences as a brown-skinned person in places like Rio de Janeiro where it didn't matter at all versus Moscow, where it seemed to matter a lot.

Overall, it's decent travel writing and it's intersting to read about places of the world that I'll likely never see in person--such as Outer Mongolia or Dubai.