This past Saturday, I took my mom to see the Kirov Ballet at Zellerbach Hall in Berkeley. Usually, we sit in rafters, up where the oxygen is thin. Zellerbach is small enough that even the seats waaaay in the back still offer pretty decent views. But this time, we sat in the tiers on the right side of the stage. After the near-perfect views of everything but the far right wing, I can pretty much say that I will be sitting in the tiers from now on. The view from our seats couldn't be beat. And thank goodness too. The male lead, Anton Korsakov, was just exquisite. Think that word may not be appropriate to describe a masculine dancer (albeit a ballet dancer)? Just look at his hands in the below pic (click to enlarge):
See what I mean? Attention to detail. Polished. Everything this guy did was flawless. Gorgeous, sky-high leaps, extension for miles, perfectly pointed toes, a joy to watch...UNTIL, he got to his fouettes. Don't get me wrong, they were still balanced and controlled while still looking fairly effortless, but I couldn't help thinking that he didn't have near the center that Danny Tidwell has (yes, that Danny of SYTYCD fame). Don't remember what I'm talking about? Here, check this out...
Let the whole thing load and then skip to about 2:28...that's where the turns start (or you could watch the whole thing and get chills, like I just did...again.). Now, make no mistake, I am not trying to compare apples and oranges, I'm just sayin that even though Anton Korsakov is a freaking BRILLIANT dancer (not to mention that he's totally cute...he has a Myspace fan club, for crying out loud!), his turns weren't quite as centered as Danny Tidwell's. That's all. Still, I was totally blown away and impressed. So elegant and regal, he was.
Anyhoo, I had a ball and smiled the entire time. The $70 per ticket that I kicked down for the tier seats was totally worth it. Despite my love for bone-crunching sports like hockey and rugby, I will always have a special place in my heart for the ballet. And when it comes to wonderful companies like the Kirov, I'm a happy kid who'll always come back for more.
Lately, I've seen the word "bereft" misused on several very well-know websites by several very well-known fame-whores bloggers. As a result of their misuse, their commenters have started misusing it as well, because, really, who thinks for themselves anymore? Let's clarify, shall we?
First and foremost, "bereft" IS NOT a synonym for "upset", mmmmkay? You can't be bereft because your favorite reality TV star got voted off, nor can you be bereft because you didn't win a t-shirt in a silly online contest. Got it? Good.
Now that we've got that out of the way. So, what does it mean, then? Well, according to Dictionary.com:
be·reft: –adjective 2. deprived
Here are two examples of how to use it correctly in a sentence: They are bereft of their senses. He is bereft of all happiness.
After someone (who will remain nameless) recently made it blatantly clear to me just how irritating grammar snobs can be, I've tried to let simple errors slide. But when a word has changed meanings thanks to the blogosphere, I have to say something.
Moving on...YAY for Joshua winning SYTYCD! Double YAY for Twitch finishing second. And I don't care what the judges said:
Phillip Chbeeb won that battle. Periodendofstory. Love ya, Phillip! Call me! We'll do lunch!
That concludes your SYTYCD coverage until next season. Whew!
One of these days, I'll get around to the Batman villains post. I promise. LOL!
BRING ON THE OLYMPICS! Both the DVR and my schedule are cleared and I'm ready to consume mass quantities of the awesomest sporting competition on Earth. Woot!
Have a great Friday and an even better weekend! Peace!!
...that SYTYCD is dead to me (after Will left), I have to admit that, yes, I'm still watching. In the interest of keeping the blog free of my dance ramblings, I figured I'd save all my comments about the show for BSYTYCD, where I knew I'd be in the company of people just as looney as I am about dance. But, unexpectedly and unfortunately but understandably, Ted shut BSYTYCD down recently. So here I am again, posting about a show that is supposedly dead to me. Fancy that.
Anyways, tonight the winner of season 4 is crowned (and I promise...not another word about SYTYCD will grace the pages of this blog...until next season). For me, last night's show was kinda ho-hum intermixed with some moments of brilliance. Case in point:
(Let the whole thing load and then skip to 1:50...that's where the fun stuff starts. A season-long thanks goes to kelxk3l for uploading all the great videos!)
Just look at those toe-touches. Holy smokes. Fantastic display of athleticism from both Joshua and Twitch. I have to say though, I hope Twitch takes it. I know he's a super-duper long shot, but Nigel was right (for once) when he said that no one can entertain like Twitch. If he doesn't take it all, I'd be cool with Joshua winning it. The height of those toe-touches alone should merit some kind of award.
And although this is a very entertaining and fun departure from the usual SYTYCD styles (thank god there was no disco last night!), KezRad pointed me to this example of what a true trepak should be. Very cool. Thanks for the tip! =)
In any case, it's all over tonight. And just in time, too! If I had to choose between the Olympics or SYTYCD, the Olympics would win hands down, no matter what sport happens to be on (yes, even weightlifting...hee-hee!) =)
...lots of times Tuesday night, and I normally don't vote for reality shows at all! Unfortunately, it wasn't enough. In a stunning turn of events, Will Wingfield, the best technical dancer to ever grace the SYTYCD stage has been voted off. In my last post, I vowed to never watch the show again if Will didn't win it all, because HELLO?! No one could touch him! He was a shoe-in for the win!
Well, it's official. So You Think You Can Dance is dead to me. I don't care who wins now, but whoever does has to know deep in his or her heart that its a fluke. Will going home this early is bullshit. Plain and simple. There. I said it.
Just for shits and giggles, here's what America chose to send home tonight:
Farewell, amazingly elegant Will. Whatever company you end up with, I will pay good money to see.
No, really. The most recent installment of SYTYCD was so fabulous, I was left wanting MORE (and so far this season, that hasn't happened)!! I actually loved every number and solo, and yes, that even includes Mark and Comfort's foxtrot. Usually, I post my favorite number of the week, but with all the amazing offerings, I'm having a hell of a time deciding. Man, the choreographers really stepped up their efforts this week, and the dancers did all of the numbers justice. It was just hot.
But, before I get to all the things I LOVED, let's talk about the stuff I could have done without, shall we?
1. Chelsie's attitude. It doesn't matter how ridiculous your legs are, young lady. When your personality is so very obnoxious and rude (bordering on ugly), it cancels out all of the hotness. Seriously. Slamming the very popular, audience-friendly Joshua every chance you got was not OK. Grow up. Be professional. You're not in 6th grade homeroom anymore. Remember, SYTYCD is all about finding America's favorite dancer and you just slipped into the bottom 2, missy.
2. Nigel slamming Joshua and picking on him for his "big bum". I'm sure Mr. Nigel would be surprised to learn that women LIKE the junk in the trunk. Especially when wardrobe puts that junk in tight pants (Bless you, wardrobe). It's not funny or cool or appropriate to pick on people for their physical attributes. This isn't America's Next Top Model, for Christ's sake!
Ok, now that I've gotten that off of my chest, on to the good stuff:
1. Tabitha and Napoleon. Are they just the cutest couple EVAR or what?! Mark and Comfort's hip hop number was AMAZING (it was in the running for my favorite dance of the night...and possibly the season). But, by far, their best choreography effort was reserved for Will and Courtney. Not gonna lie...I got a little teary. So beautiful. If Will doesn't win the whole damn show, I vow never to watch again. Seriously. (I'll post the video when I can find it. Promise. It's worth the wait.)
2. WILL'S SOLO! He danced *just* like James Brown. When it was over, I was pissed. I could have watched him dance all night long. So. Entertaining.
3. Toni Basil. Ok, she used the word "street" one too many times, and she rambled a little at times but her critiques were spot on and very thoughtful. She also looked a little spacey. The fact that she couldn't focus her eyes so well, plus the rambling = good TV, right there. Airheadedness aside, "Oh Mickey" lady knows her dance. More of her and Lil' C on the judging panel, please.
4. For my favorite of the night, I've settled on this one (and trust me, it was a tough choice):
Mia Michaels has kinda been on my sh*t list as of late, because she can't keep her big mouth shut and then when she tries to make it better by opening her piehole again, she just digs herself deeper and manages to look more foolish and rude, but HOLY MOSES, this number is SO good. Love the quality of Twitch's movement and double love that he is just cool as ice.
It's gonna be hard to lose anyone this week. This is where the show gets hard. I want everyone to stay, but my votes this week go to Courtney, Will and Twitch. Poor Mark, I think, will be the next to go. Bummer too. His style is SO unique. But someone's gotta go...and it better not be my Will!!
(allow the whole thing to load, and then skip to 1:08...thanks kelxk3l!)
This is what SYTYCD calls a "Pas de Deux", or "dance for two". And technically speaking, it is. But traditionally, a pas de deux is meant to be more of a ballet style dance, with three separate phrases to it. Although achingly beautiful, I'm not sure what differentiates this piece from, say, a contemporary number. And I have to think that the producers of the show gave this one to Katee and Will on purpose, because they knew no one else on the show could pull it off. Seriously, could you see Comfort or even Kherington performing this? Talk about a massacre. I bet Nigel and Co. sat down and discussed just who could carry Desmond Richardson's incredibly difficult choreography off and settled on Will and Katee. (as an aside: in college, I used to go to every dance performance that came to Zellerbach Hall...Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre was one of my favorites, and I remember seeing Desmond back in the day. Effortlessly perfect, he was. And still is!)
Anyways, the PR premier is DVR'd and ready to go...should I ever feel like watching. On the other hand, I could watch Katee and Will all day long. =)
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Oh. My. God. This is just exquisite. Will...bloody hell. Could he BE any more breathtaking?! I have no words. For once, I think I'm just gonna let the incredible dancing speak for itself...
Ok, so we've got a lot to discuss tonight. First and foremost, dance. SYTYCD continued its current snooze-streak with another series of numbers that left me pretty cold...all except for both of Mia Michaels's choreography contributions. Here's the second one, featuring Twitch and Kherington in their PJs:
Oh goodness, Twitch is stunning. And I love the bedhead Kherington's got going in this one. The only negative...the excessive rose petals. The last time Twitch dropped them, it worked. All of the other throws seemed like overkill to me. The dance was gorgeous on its own. If you find yourself distracted by the flying rose petals, watch it again, and try to focus on the dancers. Lovely.
And despite the fact that I HATE the song, Will and Jessica's lyrical piece was also great. In fact, Will is my new hero. That leap at the beginning? WOW. (Thanks, as always, to kelxk3l for the uploading the vid! I don't know who you are, but you ROCK for always getting the clips up so quickly after the show. You must live on the east coast...)
Secondly, I almost feel like this news deserves its own post, but I'm just too lazy and writing about Brian Campbell is just something I can no longer devote any sort of energy to. The Sharks traded away my dear Big Bear (Steve Bernier) for the strawberry mountain man (Campbell) midseason and boy, what a flop of a trade that was. Bernier caught fire in Buffalo, while Campbell just sucked it up with the Sharks. All I can say is that the Blackhawks are a buncha chumps to cough up that much cash for an inconsistent Campbell. That said, good riddance, Soupy. LATES!!
At least five people came to my cube today to comment on my shoes, hair and clothes. Everyone stated that they all dressed like me when they started, but soon realized that the office is much more casual. Worth noting: I had trouser jeans on today...and yeah, I might have worn a pair of Beverly Feldmans, but sheesh! After my last wardrobe experience where I was constantly unprofessionally dressed, I'm not yet OK with how casual my new office is. It's OK, though...I'm sure I'll get there.
New song posted over there in the sidebar. Love this one. =)
Lastly, it happened again tonight. About two weeks ago during my Bodyflow class, I had an overwhelming urge to cry. I choked the tears down , but man, it was a strange thing for me. Crying during yoga? I've heard of such things happening, but had never experienced it. Earlier tonight, the same thing happened. I don't fully understand it, but I know it happens when we're going through the hip opening series...and I carry a TON of tension in my hips. I guess letting that go and giving in to the stretch is just an emotional thing for me. Weird shit, though.
Ok, that's it for now. Going to crash. Catch you back here soon. HUGS!
From a seemingly endless sea of mediocrity (read: last night's SYTYCD) comes this gem:
(Note: let the whole thing load and then skip to about 2:34. That's where the dancing starts. Up until that point, its all fluff and frou-frou. Thanks again to kelxk3l!)
And not a moment too soon, either! Even though I hate this song with the fire of a thousand suns, I am totally in love with this piece. And up until it came along, it was the only one of the night I really felt belonged on the show. I was worried that every dance from last night's show was going to totally fall flat and leave me feeling "meh". Chelsie and Mark brought tons of emotion to Tabitha and Napoleon's solid choreography, making it the best dance of the night for me.
It's weird. I don't know what's up with this season, but so far, I can only remember two or three really great numbers. Making the AMAZING dancers look even more amazing should be a slam dunk. I know I'm not gonna win any popularity contests by saying this, but I have to look at the choreographers. Case in point: Normally solid Tyce Diorio cranked out a lackluster, nay, boring number to Marilyn Manson's "The Beautiful People". I LOVE that song. I wanted the choreography to hit hard. It didn't. I wanted it to be raw and intense and dirty, like the song. It was none of those things. I was bummed. And, so help me, if I have to see one more Doriana Sanchez disco number, I might give up on the show all together.
I did, however, enjoy new choreographer Sonya Tayeh's contemporary effort. Quirky. Interesting. New. Unique. All of those things are what the show needs now. In it's fourth season, the producers can't expect us to still be wowed by the same disco number that we saw in season one.
There are a million awesome new choreographers out there that I'm sure would love to be a part of SYTYCD. If a fifth season is to be, the producers need to find these people and beg and plead for them to lend their talents to the show. Otherwise, I fear that the public will get tired of seeing the same dances again and again. I know I'm already half-way there.
The vertigo has got me all but sidelined lately, so blogging may be a little light for a few days. When the world stops spinning at warp speed and I can release my death-grip on the ground, I'll be back. But until I can climb off this ride I did not choose to get on in the first place, let's talk about something for a second....
(Note: I swear this is not a SYTYCD blog...the same way I swear that this is not a hockey blog during hockey season! LOL!)
Did anyone watch last night's SYTYCD? Did you catch the Jean-Marc Genereaux piece dedicated to his disabled daughter? Anyone feel manipulated again? No idea what I'm talking about? Allow me to explain...
Movies like Forrest Gump were done the way they were to completely manipulate the audience's emotions such that, whether you liked it or not, you were rooting for Forrest by mid-movie. We're only human , after all. But then, if you actually thought about the movie as a whole after the fact, you realized that Hollywood played you. Like an expertly played guitar. Those douchebags that made Forrest Gump told you *exactly* how you should feel while watching their silly little movie, and even worse, you felt it (or at least I did)! For that reason alone, I hate Forrest Gump. People that talk about what a wonderful story it is and how they felt uplifted at the end make me laugh.
Now, enter Mia Michaels's piece from last year's SYTYCD that she choreographed for her recently deceased father (Actually, the piece was supposed to be what meeting her father in heaven would be like). At the time, I found the whole thing very moving. But the next day, I found it to be contrived. Like the producers *knew* that whoever performed Mia's piece, be it two dancing bums from the street or Lacey and Neil, would receive a tremendous amount of votes and remain in the competition. And as for Mia, good intentions...poor execution. I think she chose the wrong stage to present her vision to the world, that's all. I felt manipulated and damn near compelled to pick up the phone and vote. I'm sure I'm not alone.
Last night, Jean-Marc took a swing at this idea with his piece for Kherington and Twitch. His daughter is severely disabled and finds joy in watching others move. The story alone broke my heart. But it didn't take me long to realize that Jean-Marc's piece was different. Unlike Mia's number, Jean-Marc's actually contained a fair amount of dancing. On it's own merits, story or not, I thought it was beautiful. I'd enjoy watching it again and again. I can't say I felt the same way about Mia's dance. But I did feel the same amount of manipulation initially and that sucks.
I don't want SYTYCD to turn into my personal Forrest Gump. I don't want to hate it. But when the judges and choreographers are all but cramming their opinions on how you should feel and who you should vote for down your throats, it's hard to remain objective. They know who they want to win. And they're very clever about making sure you know it, too.
Ok, so I know we have LOTS to discuss in the world of television, but I've got another interview this morning and will not be able to cover all the delicious stuff until later. But...
On SYTYCD, the top 20 performed for the first time. I have the beginning DVR'd because I missed about 40 minutes. What I did see, though, I loved. Chelsie Hightower and Matt...just beautiful. Here's their performance from last night to keep you entertained until I get back:
(thanks kelxk3l!)
We also have the Top Chef finale and winner to discuss. PLEASE don't post anything about this yet, as I have not watched it! God bless the DVR.
I'll be back soon! In the meantime, wish me luck! =)
UPDATED:
The interview went very well. I rewarded myself with a huge plate of chicken mole, rice and beans from my fave place near home and a serious veg-fest in front of the TV with last night's SYTYCD and Top Chef. Where to start?
I think its safe to assume that if your name is Courtney (or Kourtni) or Chelsea (or Chelsie), life on SYTYCD will be pretty good for you this season. It's also safe to say that if you answer to Chelsea, or any derivation thereof, you will have *ri-goddamn-diculously* long, amazing legs that will become the focus of any dance choreographed for you. I, for one, applaud the choreographers that will exploit this.
It's entirely too early in the season to pick favorites, but so far, I am totally loving EVERYONE. Seriously, there wasn't a single number from last night's show that I didn't love or enjoy on some level. There's a ton of talented dancers with with personality for miles. I was a little scared after the abysmal Vegas auditions, but in fine SYTYCD style, the producers have definitely saved the best dancing for the main show. YAY! Make sure to catch the results show tonight to see who gets the boot first...
As for Top Chef...total SNOOZEFEST. Listen, I'm glad a female finally won (Go Stephanie!), but my goodness, the finale was about as bland as the pork belly Richard served for his third course. Where was the drama, the scandal, the tampering with other chef's oven temperatures?! Last night's final episode, for all intents and purposes, consisted of nothing more than three people cooking. And from what the judges had to say, not cooking particularly well, either. Blah.
At least Hell's Kitchen is still exciting. I swear, I could listen to Gordon Ramsay curse at the prospective chefs all day long. And next time someone I know really blows it, I'm not gonna hesitate to call him or her a "DONKEY" in my best British accent. That's good TV, right there.
So, ok. By now, you should all know I possess an unnatural love for SYTYCD and all things dance in general (Dancing With the Stars excepted). But here's my beef with this season's auditions thus far: They took close to 200 dancers to the next round in Las Vegas, and honestly, we've seen maybe a handful of those people. Who are they? What's their story? We want to see them!!
I don't know how other viewers feel, but personally, I don't need to see all the poor souls that Fox feels the need to exploit because they believe all humans are Schadenfreuds. Some of those people, I truly felt bad for. I know that Nigel Lithgoe is behind both American Idol and SYTYCD, so it makes sense that the same formula is applied to both shows. But, more than ever, this season's SYTYCD auditions seem to be going the way of Idol, where only the heinous people get air time, because they're considered "good TV". And I understand that once a show gains a certain amount of popularity, as Idol and SYTYCD have, strange folks will come out of the woodwork to try to get on TV. But, I fell in love with SYTYCD because it used to avoid that type of shameless ratings-whoring, and now...well...*sigh*. It kinda leaves me with a sour taste in my mouth.
Before getting to the actual Milwaukee auditions, last night's two hour show started out with several dancers who did make it through to the next round from previous cities. Why they weren't included the first time around is anyone's guess. This look back also gave me the distinct impression that there just wasn't enough content, good or bad, to fill the two hour slot. Boy, was I right. There was a whole lotta "meh". Some great, some terrible, but most were right in between. And if you've ever watched the show before, you know the "meh" doesn't usually fly. But, for whatever reason, so-so dancer after so-so dancer made the cut, snatched their ticket to Vegas, and ran out of the auditorium before the judges realized their mistake. Even DJC commented on how "blah" everyone seemed and how surprised he was at how frequently tickets to Vegas were dished out.
This is not to say that everyone featured last night was underwhelming. There were flashes of brilliance from time to time. Take, for instance, Cooper Zamorano. I literally got chills:
I hope to see him in the Top 20, which is revealed during another two-hour bonanza tonight. I was also left wanting more of Kourtni Lind and Evan Kasprzak. Now that all the riff-raff has been weeded out, hopefully the level of talent Fox chooses to display will pick up a little. Because after last night, it can't much more boring or bland. I invite the SYTYCD faithful to throw their two cents in...
Will what happens in Vegas stay in Vegas? Stay tuned! =)
(again, word to Kelxk3l for uploading the clips!)
Friday, May 30, 2008
So, I know there was another two-hour SYTYCD bonanza on last night, but I went out to celebrate CGI's birthday and had to DVR it. I'm snuggled on the couch with a warm down blanket (Bay Area mornings have been c-c-c-cold as of late!), a bowl of cereal and the remote. I'm ready to rock.
(As an aside to the managers of Medjool's Sky Terrace bar, more heat lamps are needed for summer nights in San Francisco. Like Mark Twain said, "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." The man shits you not. With the fog and breeze, it was downright arctic up there. But the views, the drinks and especially the company were simply to die for. On a warmer night, I could totally fall in love with this place...)
According to DJC, who stayed home last night and watched the show, there is someone by the name of Phucdat Ngyuen who auditions in this segment. How did I get the spelling correct on that one, you ask? DJC wrote it down. Love it! Hee-hee!
Be back soon (I think). If I flake, happy Friday! Enjoy the weekend! =)
UPDATED: Brandon Bryant, you are my new hero. Holysmokes.
UPDATED: Now with the new and totally improved William Wingfield audition video! YAY! That previous one was killing me. I mean, who even has an old-school TV like that anymore? But really, when the dancing is that amazing, who cares? I still got chills either way.
SYTYCD is back with a vengeance! After only the first stop on the nation-wide audition tour, the judges must be SO tired. Maybe Fox edited it this way, but there was so much stinkin' talent! I smiled for two straight hours. Here are some of the highlights from last night's show:
This is Robert Muraine. Like Mary, I've never seen anything like this. I think Mia's face at :27 and :43 says it all. Totally. Freaking. Amazing.
Here we have Phillip Chbeeb, a fave of mine from last season who didn't get very far in the competition. So glad to see he came back for another go this year. Between him and Robert, I wonder how it is that people learn to move like that. Insane. And so damn cool. (pardon the lame logo in the corner of the vid!)
And lastly, this piece seriously left me speechless:
I've been watching this show for a looong time now, and I'm fairly certain that no one has done anything like William Wingfield did here. His free-form dance was totally remarkable and breathtaking. Nigel didn't think it was right for the audition, but you know what? It got everyone's attention and left them wanting to see more, which is *exactly* what a successful audition should accomplish. LOVE!
Oh man, this looks to be a great season! The judges are positive and not annoying, the dancing is unreal and it was great to see dancers from past seasons make a cameo or two. Can't wait to see what the other cities have to bring! =)
This is the recap post of SYTYCD's live tour that my sister, mom and I enjoyed last year. This entry is from my dearly departed old blog and entitled "*insert incredibly high-pitched girly screams here*". Enjoy!
"Ohmygod, ohmygod, OHMYGAAWD! YEEEAAYY!!!!" Every time Pasha, Neil or Danny took the stage, the group of three *very* sharply dressed middle aged men sitting next to my mother at last night's So You Think You Can Dance show would scream with giddy glee. I even witnessed fist pumping. Several times. OK OK, so some of those giddy screams may have come from me, but who's keeping track, right? They were awesome. Behind us sat the unofficial Pasha fan club, headed by what I thought was the cutest 14-year old girl EVAR. Then I heard her scream. My eardrums are still ringing! Holy cow. They sure did love them some Pasha!
From the start of SYTYCD this season, I've been in awe of the amazing level of talent. Danny, in particular, took my breath away from the get-go. When my sister called to let me know that she has scored tickets to this year's tour, I was thrilled. To see Danny's grace and amplitude *live* was something I could hardly wait for! And my god, did he ever deliver! Stunning and flawless, he is. I'm convinced he is not human. Simply perfect.
Although I'll remain a Danny-loving fool forever, I'd pay good money to see the opening group number to "Madskillz" by BT again and again and again. It was the perfect way to open the show. So high energy! It really got the crowd going. I also enjoyed seeing "Mein Herr" and "2:19" (the swamp themed number) again. With respect to the solos: with every single one, I found that I wanted MORE! I'd be happy if the solos were longer in the future. And although I loved all of them, three really stood out in my mind: of course Danny (swoon!), Kameron and Jaimie. Maybe it was their choice of music or choreography (or both!), but thinking back, its those three that I remember. Jaimie is so graceful and strong and Kameron's solo really showed off how much he has improved.
Since the Oakland stop is close to the end of the tour, every dance and dancer looked so polished. It was great to see the dancers perform the style that they're most comfortable with, too. That break dancing number? SICK! After watching Hok give more than 100%, I can't believe he has a back injury! He really gave it his all. The schtick in between the dances seemed a bit contrived and arbitrary, but I understand the need in order to transition from one number to the next. In the future I'd like to see less of it, though...and longer solos. Longer solos. Yeah. Wait, have I said that I'd like the solos to be longer? 'Cuz I would, you know...
One thing that struck me was just how many people were in attendance last night. The Oakland Arena is *big*, ya'll...and it was totally full. People from all walks of life cheered their hearts out, but I noticed that there were several dance teams of young girls sitting near us. They were all sporting their studio's warm-up jackets. My sister commented that its really nice to see young girls looking up to classy dancers like Sabra, Lacey and Anya instead of idolizing Hollywood's crackwhores that forget their underwear, shave their heads on a whim, and snort coke off of toilet seats. There aren't nearly enough positive role models for girls today and I give huge kudos to the SYTYCD ladies that do right by their young fans. Cheers!
We were sitting too far back to get any decent pictures, but my memories of all the wonderful performances will hold me over...until next season.
