the real top 10

All but two of the 10 duets for this week got a standing ovation from the judges!  That’s how great the performances are this week! Oh my gosh!  I don’t have the words!  The All Stars really brought everything to the next level ten levels higher!

The show started off elegantly with the top 10 number choreographed by Chris Scott.  Clever use of the rocking chair!  These choreographers have such weirdly creative ideas for props.

The duets were started by a high energy, heart-stopping disco routine by the great Doriana Sanchez performed by Brandon and Amy.  The lifts are really scary but it’s Brandon who is doing them and with those big biceps, and considering how small Amy is, they were done perfectly!  Almost too perfect really especially on that last death drop!  An inch from the floor! Oh my!

That was followed by a sharp and funky jazz performance by the beast herself, Melanie paired with Fik-shun.  Their dance really left you feeling good.  Melanie is as sharp as ever and Fik-shun for the most part was able to match her brilliance.

SYTYCD 10 Top 10

Yes.  It’s still two more weeks until the top 10 dancers are revealed but as early as now, I would like to make my predictions.

I think the girls are so much stronger than the guys this year.  They are better trained, have more personality and are amazing performers.  Here are my thoughts on who will make it to the top 10.

1. Hayley.  Let me just say what an opportunity for Hayley this week to be able to dance with the choreographer himself – Leonardo! Even Mary Murphy was envious!  Hayley has been consistently voted to safety so even though she isn’t the strongest among the women, I think she’ll cruise through to the top 10.
2. Makenzie.  Consistently at the bottom 3.  Consistently saved by the judges because of her amazing performances and professionalism.  I hope America votes her to the top 10 and if not, I hope the judges do not tire of saving her.
3. Paul.  The ever-gelled Armenian, who I admire for having the courage to take on another season of SYTYCD in a foreign country at that, has revealed himself to be a very strong contender.

first elimination, SYTYCD 10

They changed it last year, in season 9.  They were only given one night every week for the show.  Same goes for this year. Just one night to showcase all these dance talents! But they changed the order of presentation.  They moved the elimination to the beginning of the show. And that changed everything. It changed the mood. It changed the dynamic. It changed the feel of the entire episode.

On the one hand, the professionalism of the dancers was brought to light. On the other hand, it was quite a challenge for everyone to contain their emotions after learning the news and still managed to give it their best, as they should.

The camera work on this particular episode was also a bit messy.  There were several shots that were out of focus. Some of the camera men also seemed to have forgotten their blocking (if that’s what you call it).

So far, after 2 nights of performance, nothing has really evoked as much a reaction as the statue dance of Marko and Melanie or any of the dances of Katie and Joshua yet.  I favor a few dancers but no one has danced a really memorable routine yet.

I love Mackenzie! Her feet are really amazing. She points her toes like there’s no tomorrow.  Aaron and Jasmine H is the couple to beat so far.  Fikshun and Amy are cute. Jasmine M and Alan are also contenders.

I am excited for the coming weeks. I do hope they revert to the old format and hold the eliminations towards the end of the show.  I know that the better routines are still to come and I am looking forward to them.

SYTYCD 10

Aaaaahhhh! These promos from Fox featuring the all-stars have got me all excited about the new season of so you think you can dance! As a frustrated dancer, I have been a fan of the show from the very first season where Melody, a Filipina, came second to Nick Lazarini! Can’t wait to see the show and what new things they’ve decided to put in. I hope they retain much of the format and rules from the previous season though! Aaaaahhh!

The promo features (from 7 to 1) Kathryn, Robert, Witney, Twitch, Lauren, Mark and Neil.

the voice – 6th week

It’s the knockout round in the fourth season of the voice and I am still hooked. Hahaha… By the way, I am not sure if it really is the sixth week or not. I just assumed and I am hoping that I made the right assumption.

So, as I mentioned, I am still hooked. The judges are quite entertaining and the singers are really talented.  It’s my first time watching the voice this deep into the season. I only got to watch the blind auditions of the previous seasons so I have no idea what happens at this stage of the competition.

I am writing this as I watch the first of the knockout round. Hmmm… So they are pitting the remaining singers in each team against the other members of in the team.  The coaches (Adam, Shakira, Usher and Blake) choose 2 singers from their team for the knockout round. I find it weird that they are doing this to their team but hey, that’s how they formatted the show and it has created a big following so who am I to question their choice.  I think it would have been better had they pitted singers from different coaches against each other but that’s just me.

Anyway, some of the choices for pairing by the judges, Shakira in particular, weren’t really strategic. I think that the show’s format really promotes for the coaches to pair their bests against their worsts so that in the end, the bests will be left.  But Shakira defied this and pitted two of great singers together. Argh.

So this episode focused on Shakira’s and Adam’s teams.  By the end of the episode, they halved their teams, each now having just 4 for the live shows.  It was sad to see some of those talented people go but such is the nature of a competition.  Some of them might end up on the top of the Billboard Hot 100 later on despite the rejection.   But I hope that every one will continue to try and reach for his/her dream.