Episode 21, August 3
So You Think You Can Dance 2, August 3: One Step Closer by Sting7 -- 08/05/2006 Wednesday night, the judges were brutal in their critiques. They raised the bar, and while some matched it, others got some rough treatment they’d never received before! But now, the results are in. Will we get the Benji/Travis showdown we all want? Stay tuned. Cat Deeley, slinky and low-cut, ominously reminds us there is just one elimination before the finals. Welcome to So You Think You Can Dance! The dancers go lyrical on the Mia Michaels-choreographed “Hide and Seek” by Imogen Heap. It’s a deeply passionate routine; you can almost hear Mia screeching, “Dig! Dig!” when they move, and it is a moving number. Cat says yet another voting record was broken – 12.5 million votes were cast last night! That makes me nervous, to be honest. Recap of Wednesday night’s show – Ivan and Natalie were ground into a fine powder by the judges. If there is sympathy voting, somebody is going to get screwed. Now, one more solo for the dancers. Natalie is first, dancing to Jann Arden’s “I Would Die for You,” and Natalie, honestly, looks like she makes it up on the spot. She ends and mouths, “I love you” to someone. Cat asks who. “My girl Allison is in the crowd!” REALLY? Where? There she is! Allison is all moist in the eyes, like Natalie is. Awww. I miss my Allison. Enough of this lovefest. Nigel drops the curtains on that, saying he believes Natalie is twice the dancer that Musa was, but when he left, he took some of her magic. He’s liked her less and less as the weeks have gone on. Mary thinks she is a wonderful dancer, and yes, she can be a little dramatic, but she is truly gifted. Mia thinks Natalie needs to quit trying so hard; she has everything she needs. Now Heidi does her twizzling and smiles her dazzling smile to “Hey Mama” by, yes, the Black Eyed Peas. Oy vey. Nigel admits that he didn’t expect her to go this far, but if the show went another five weeks, he would pick her to win. Mary says Heidi is a delight and the most improved of the women by far. Mia agrees that Heidi is most improved, but she is surprised Heidi is still there. Why surprised, says Cat. Because she’s not so versatile, says Mia. Nigel challenges that Heidi did the sunflower routine to Mia’s choreography and it was one of the greatest ever on the series. Mia counters that she actually works with the dancers (meow), and the dances are tailored to them somewhat, and she knows what Heidi can do. Heidi looks a bit stunned by all this. Nigel basically tells Mia to sod off. Donyelle invites us to loosen up her “Buttons” by the Pussycat Dolls. Donyelle strikes somewhere between hip-hop and contemporary with this one, and the results are alluring. Nigel says Donyelle was getting lost in partnerships, and she just showed why she is still here. Mary says Donyelle’s eyes have a way of cutting right to the soul when she dances. Mia says this is “not about eyes.” What has crawled up her ass today? Every week is an opportunity to improve, and Mia says Donyelle has reached a point and stayed there. Mary counters that Donyelle has been injured. “So has everyone else!” Mia parries, and they both play catfight with each other. I think they both could be drunk! Nigel holds his head in his hand, looking like he’d rather check his bank balance than be there. Cat reminds us the judges have no say in who advances, which is important to note here. Travis dances to Westlife’s “Flying Without Wings” (a cappella version), and Travis is Travis - commanding, charismatic, charming, and those turns are stunning. Nigel says if this is about technical skill, Travis would have won already. He thinks sometimes Travis falls short on performance and maybe even has a lack of confidence, when there is no reason for that. “You’re brilliant, young man.” Mary says he started strong and went flat, and fought his way back. Her mind has been changed since the Paso Doble. Mia says Travis serves it every week, his work ethic is unparalleled, and she would be privileged to hire and work with him for the rest of her career. (Whoa! Looks like Trav has a job no matter what!!) Ivan dances to “Question Mark” by Wade Robeson (did he offer Ivan a sponsorship deal or something?), and again shows that newfound showmanship. Nice. Nigel gives Ivan “props” for being the only untrained dancer remaining. He says it shows what this competition is all about. He says Ivan has a big future. Mary says Ivan told her he just got the movie Seabiscuit; he had no idea what she was talking about earlier (not surprised). She hopes Seabiscuit keeps going. Mia says she had a blast working with Ivan; she hearts him. (So do many teenaged girls, I hear.) Now, to Cherry Poppin’ Daddies’ “Brown Derby Jump,” Benji and that incredible leg work manages to cover the entire stage. Benji always injects a bit of humor into his routines, but never at the expense of skill. He always delivers. This is no exception. The crowd again is chanting his name. Nigel said if this competition was about performance ability, Benji would win. Even when he doesn’t feel comfortable he performs it to the level that we believe him. Mary reminds him about his wishbone (how badly he wanted to win this competition and here he is), his backbone (his technical ability and his attack with whatever genre he is given), and his funny bone (everyone he meets leaves laughing and he’s a joy to work with because he’s such a professional). Mia says she was disappointed with the number of limitations Benji has. But as a performer, you don’t see his performability very often. “You are pretty friggin’ special!” Speaking of performances, here is R&B artist Omarion with “Entourage.” If you don’t know, Omarion was the former lead singer of B2K and left the group in one of those ugly going-solo fracases right at the height of their popularity. Since then, he has shown he made the right decision with huge chart success and album sales. Seems like Omarion hasn’t figured out that dancing and singing requires that you be in amazing shape. It doesn’t quite work tonight. Nigel plugs the tour - tickets go on sale August 11, 2006, and it will feature Mia’s “Calling You” and Mary’s Paso Doble (both featuring my boy Travis and Heidi, thank you very much) among other favorites from the show. Results now. The girls – Donyelle, Natalie and Heidi hold hands as Cat recaps their critiques from last night. Heidi… is safe! She gets a big hug from her cousin Benji. The guys – Travis, Ivan, and Benji, all fidgeting nervously as Cat recaps their critiques. Travis is safe! Travis screams, “Oh, my God!” and jumps up and down, then grabs Heidi and jumps up and down with her. (Is he really surprised? Is Nigel right about his confidence??) On with the final results. Girls first. Between Natalie and Donyelle, the girl leaving is… Natalie. The audience makes a confused gasp, but Natalie stretches her arms and yells, “Opa! Opa!” The other contestants join her in her cheer. Natalie is such a doll. Cat says that must be the best response yet. A gracious exit, and Natalie cried tears with everyone who left before her. Impossible not to like her. Funeral video. Natalie thanks the judges for all the comments; she is taking everything and using it. She calls her fellow dancers her family and promises to be back for the tour. One more result to be revealed! Will we get the Benji/Travis duel we all want, or does Ivan manage to slip through? I warned you all to watch him. He outlasted the much better-trained Ryan, who has the skill to be principal dancer! Can he beat Benji, too? The male leaving us is… Ivan. There are few screams of anguish in the audience. Teenaged ones. Ivan nods and smiles like he knew it all along. To his left, Benji covers his face, tears flowing. He really wants this so bad! Ivan gives him a hug and a slap on the ass. Cat is aghast. “Did you just slap his bottom?” she asks, all British. She is unfamiliar with our way. Ivan flings an arm over Cat’s shoulder as she introduces his funeral video. He has some great moments; it’s one of the few times the video captures the journey. Ivan says his favorite moment was meeting his new family (the other contestants). He thanks everyone who voted for him, his voice cracking. Cat asks if his dad is still proud of him. Ivan says his whole family is. What a touching hour this has been! So our final four is Travis, Benji, Heidi, and Donyelle. They all will dance with each other and solo, but there will only be one winner. How will it all unfold?http://www.realitynewsonline.com/cgi-bin/ae.pl?mode=4&article=article6321.art&page=1
So You Think You Can Dance 2, August 3: One Step Closer by Sting7 -- 08/05/2006 Wednesday night, the judges were brutal in their critiques. They raised the bar, and while some matched it, others got some rough treatment they’d never received before! But now, the results are in. Will we get the Benji/Travis showdown we all want? Stay tuned. Cat Deeley, slinky and low-cut, ominously reminds us there is just one elimination before the finals. Welcome to So You Think You Can Dance! The dancers go lyrical on the Mia Michaels-choreographed “Hide and Seek” by Imogen Heap. It’s a deeply passionate routine; you can almost hear Mia screeching, “Dig! Dig!” when they move, and it is a moving number. Cat says yet another voting record was broken – 12.5 million votes were cast last night! That makes me nervous, to be honest. Recap of Wednesday night’s show – Ivan and Natalie were ground into a fine powder by the judges. If there is sympathy voting, somebody is going to get screwed. Now, one more solo for the dancers. Natalie is first, dancing to Jann Arden’s “I Would Die for You,” and Natalie, honestly, looks like she makes it up on the spot. She ends and mouths, “I love you” to someone. Cat asks who. “My girl Allison is in the crowd!” REALLY? Where? There she is! Allison is all moist in the eyes, like Natalie is. Awww. I miss my Allison. Enough of this lovefest. Nigel drops the curtains on that, saying he believes Natalie is twice the dancer that Musa was, but when he left, he took some of her magic. He’s liked her less and less as the weeks have gone on. Mary thinks she is a wonderful dancer, and yes, she can be a little dramatic, but she is truly gifted. Mia thinks Natalie needs to quit trying so hard; she has everything she needs. Now Heidi does her twizzling and smiles her dazzling smile to “Hey Mama” by, yes, the Black Eyed Peas. Oy vey. Nigel admits that he didn’t expect her to go this far, but if the show went another five weeks, he would pick her to win. Mary says Heidi is a delight and the most improved of the women by far. Mia agrees that Heidi is most improved, but she is surprised Heidi is still there. Why surprised, says Cat. Because she’s not so versatile, says Mia. Nigel challenges that Heidi did the sunflower routine to Mia’s choreography and it was one of the greatest ever on the series. Mia counters that she actually works with the dancers (meow), and the dances are tailored to them somewhat, and she knows what Heidi can do. Heidi looks a bit stunned by all this. Nigel basically tells Mia to sod off. Donyelle invites us to loosen up her “Buttons” by the Pussycat Dolls. Donyelle strikes somewhere between hip-hop and contemporary with this one, and the results are alluring. Nigel says Donyelle was getting lost in partnerships, and she just showed why she is still here. Mary says Donyelle’s eyes have a way of cutting right to the soul when she dances. Mia says this is “not about eyes.” What has crawled up her ass today? Every week is an opportunity to improve, and Mia says Donyelle has reached a point and stayed there. Mary counters that Donyelle has been injured. “So has everyone else!” Mia parries, and they both play catfight with each other. I think they both could be drunk! Nigel holds his head in his hand, looking like he’d rather check his bank balance than be there. Cat reminds us the judges have no say in who advances, which is important to note here. Travis dances to Westlife’s “Flying Without Wings” (a cappella version), and Travis is Travis - commanding, charismatic, charming, and those turns are stunning. Nigel says if this is about technical skill, Travis would have won already. He thinks sometimes Travis falls short on performance and maybe even has a lack of confidence, when there is no reason for that. “You’re brilliant, young man.” Mary says he started strong and went flat, and fought his way back. Her mind has been changed since the Paso Doble. Mia says Travis serves it every week, his work ethic is unparalleled, and she would be privileged to hire and work with him for the rest of her career. (Whoa! Looks like Trav has a job no matter what!!) Ivan dances to “Question Mark” by Wade Robeson (did he offer Ivan a sponsorship deal or something?), and again shows that newfound showmanship. Nice. Nigel gives Ivan “props” for being the only untrained dancer remaining. He says it shows what this competition is all about. He says Ivan has a big future. Mary says Ivan told her he just got the movie Seabiscuit; he had no idea what she was talking about earlier (not surprised). She hopes Seabiscuit keeps going. Mia says she had a blast working with Ivan; she hearts him. (So do many teenaged girls, I hear.) Now, to Cherry Poppin’ Daddies’ “Brown Derby Jump,” Benji and that incredible leg work manages to cover the entire stage. Benji always injects a bit of humor into his routines, but never at the expense of skill. He always delivers. This is no exception. The crowd again is chanting his name. Nigel said if this competition was about performance ability, Benji would win. Even when he doesn’t feel comfortable he performs it to the level that we believe him. Mary reminds him about his wishbone (how badly he wanted to win this competition and here he is), his backbone (his technical ability and his attack with whatever genre he is given), and his funny bone (everyone he meets leaves laughing and he’s a joy to work with because he’s such a professional). Mia says she was disappointed with the number of limitations Benji has. But as a performer, you don’t see his performability very often. “You are pretty friggin’ special!” Speaking of performances, here is R&B artist Omarion with “Entourage.” If you don’t know, Omarion was the former lead singer of B2K and left the group in one of those ugly going-solo fracases right at the height of their popularity. Since then, he has shown he made the right decision with huge chart success and album sales. Seems like Omarion hasn’t figured out that dancing and singing requires that you be in amazing shape. It doesn’t quite work tonight. Nigel plugs the tour - tickets go on sale August 11, 2006, and it will feature Mia’s “Calling You” and Mary’s Paso Doble (both featuring my boy Travis and Heidi, thank you very much) among other favorites from the show. Results now. The girls – Donyelle, Natalie and Heidi hold hands as Cat recaps their critiques from last night. Heidi… is safe! She gets a big hug from her cousin Benji. The guys – Travis, Ivan, and Benji, all fidgeting nervously as Cat recaps their critiques. Travis is safe! Travis screams, “Oh, my God!” and jumps up and down, then grabs Heidi and jumps up and down with her. (Is he really surprised? Is Nigel right about his confidence??) On with the final results. Girls first. Between Natalie and Donyelle, the girl leaving is… Natalie. The audience makes a confused gasp, but Natalie stretches her arms and yells, “Opa! Opa!” The other contestants join her in her cheer. Natalie is such a doll. Cat says that must be the best response yet. A gracious exit, and Natalie cried tears with everyone who left before her. Impossible not to like her. Funeral video. Natalie thanks the judges for all the comments; she is taking everything and using it. She calls her fellow dancers her family and promises to be back for the tour. One more result to be revealed! Will we get the Benji/Travis duel we all want, or does Ivan manage to slip through? I warned you all to watch him. He outlasted the much better-trained Ryan, who has the skill to be principal dancer! Can he beat Benji, too? The male leaving us is… Ivan. There are few screams of anguish in the audience. Teenaged ones. Ivan nods and smiles like he knew it all along. To his left, Benji covers his face, tears flowing. He really wants this so bad! Ivan gives him a hug and a slap on the ass. Cat is aghast. “Did you just slap his bottom?” she asks, all British. She is unfamiliar with our way. Ivan flings an arm over Cat’s shoulder as she introduces his funeral video. He has some great moments; it’s one of the few times the video captures the journey. Ivan says his favorite moment was meeting his new family (the other contestants). He thanks everyone who voted for him, his voice cracking. Cat asks if his dad is still proud of him. Ivan says his whole family is. What a touching hour this has been! So our final four is Travis, Benji, Heidi, and Donyelle. They all will dance with each other and solo, but there will only be one winner. How will it all unfold?