So You Think You Can Dance CANADA

[star_gazer11]

Almost didn't watch last night, glad I had it on in the background to realize it was Finals week. Was that Vicky who did the Mongolian dance audition from last season who got cut after ballroom?

[Era]

Unable to catch most of the auditions this week, but MM will rerun them this weekend so I'll record them and maybe watch after the top 20 are chosen. I skip the US SYTYCD auditions because there is so much bias in the editing. The Canadian version is much better and mostly it's fun trying to spot the returnees or who is going to be an up and coming dancer for next season.

I did see the last 1.5 hours last night. Jean-Marc and France ROCK!
I hope Jeff makes it this year to the top 20. Also, why does the US seem to cast such poor tappers for the top 20? They are so boring compared to the Canadian ones.

[DustPuppyOI]

Oh -- am I crazy or is there a dancer who looks a lot like Cynthia Phaneuf? I keep thinking I've seen Cynthia in the crowd shots. I think she even came out of the Montreal auditions. (I know it's not her, but it's a fun double-take.)

The Cynthia look alike, Kirsten Wicklund, made it through Blake's contemporary, right? I finally caught up on all the youtube videos here (http://bit.ly/bLkwq8) and kept on thinking that in addition to Cynthia's looks, she unfortunately has her nerves!

Almost didn't watch last night, glad I had it on in the background to realize it was Finals week. Was that Vicky who did the Mongolian dance audition from last season who got cut after ballroom?

Yup! Vicky got cut after ballroom. Didn't understand the audition process for her this year since they made her do Blake's boot camp to get through to Finals. They sent her straight through last year. I was really hoping that Arik Pipestem (hoop dancer) would get through though. I guess I've got a soft spot for all the ethnic based dancers! Jean-Marc and Luther were so predictable with the belly dancer with the boob isolations.

The Canadian version is much better and mostly it's fun trying to spot the returnees or who is going to be an up and coming dancer for next season.

The Canadians have so many returnees and so many connections like Claudia who was Francis from SYTYCDC season 1 finalist. I guess the community is so tight knit? I'm surprised Danny's partner Camille Norton didn't show up this year. The returning hip-hop dancers who took ballet, Rodrigo and Shevar, impressed me at first but Shevar's personality is getting annoying. Mainly though, I just feel sorry for Jayme Rae's sister Jenny. It's like the SYTYCDC version of Emily Hughes having to follow in the footsteps of Sarah Hughes. I'm glad that the dancers are so persistent though!

Jean-Marc and France ROCK!

Loved them on the judging panel and it was so much fun watching them demonstrate full out. So much better than the tiny glimpses that we see on the US show. Hearing them judge was even more of a hoot.

I hope Jeff makes it this year to the top 20. Also, why does the US seem to cast such poor tappers for the top 20? They are so boring compared to the Canadian ones.

I'm loving Justin Jackson (tapper) who's got his youtube channel here. Jeff Mortensen's the returning Ukrainian/contemporary dancer from last year, right? Love him! The Julliard trained guy, Denys Drozdyuk,who Mia said looks like Rudolf Nureyev is practically a shoe-in. The guys in general seem really strong this year. Did Josue, the newly immigrated Cuban make it through to the final round?

The girls I've got tabs on this year are the ballerina turned ballroom dancer Julia, contemporary dancer with sister rivalry problems Amanda Cleghorn, and contemporary dancer with an attitude problem last year Shelaina Anderson. Not sure about how ballroom dancer Claudia is doing in other styles though.

One thing that SYTYCD Canada has that US doesn't have is Spandy Andy who's dance skills are better this year!

ETA: Does anyone know what's up with Rex Harrington? His voice sounded shaky!
ETA 2: I was hoping Gessuri Gaitan, the voidy contemporary dancer that Mia was spazzing all over last year during auditions, would come back but I didn't see him at all.

[jayta]

I have to say that none of the dancers stuck out this audition process so really at this point I don't care who gets in. I'm guessing a lot of white people...Lol. Cause it didn't seem quite as diverse this year but that could be due to editing.

I wasn't crying over Luca, but I admire the entire process he had to go through to get the ticket. Out loud I was like,' Why bother when the dude can NEVER partner someone?' But I am inspired by what he's done to overcome his disabilities to do something he loves so much!

I was kind of sad for Sasha (I think that's his name, the guy who injured his groin) because I think he definitely looked like he could have been a contender. And I loved seeing how much he wanted to stay in. I hope he comes back next year.

Overall, I was utterly disappointed with most auditions. I don't know if it's the camera angle or what, but no one's auditions wowed me. I kept hoping that Pop & Locker Katie Lee would come back. She still sticks in my mind even after 2 years!

Oh well, hopefully there will be some decent dancers that I can root for. Sometimes I get irritated with SYTYCD Canada because they think that if they put all these different genres on, of course they all are sexy girating dancing, that it's going to make the show better or create memorable pieces, but I personally am not a big fan of last year where like 3/4 of the dances were close to hip hop or some form of it. If we could get an even balance this year, I'd be happy.

I hope maybe we'll get some Mia Michaels this year

[rjblue]

The first 10 minutes of the show was non-stop final dances. They showed soooo many great dancers, I don't know how they are going to pick just 20.

I'm hoping to see Denys (paso-ballet), Jo (ballet hip-hop), Sebastien (quirky contemporary) and Justin (a tapper I like) get through. There were a couple of ballroom women who really sizzled too.

Jesse- very cute young guy, Jean-Marc does a fake-out because he's short for partnering, but he makes it through. I think he's contemporary?

Amanda- contemporary girl, Mary's fake-out is that she is too young. She looks somewhat like Amanda from Survivor.

Shavar- they did a bit about how he was bad mouthing the other dancers, and then let him through to the top 20. (Hip hop guy who did ballet the past year)

Mackenzie- contemporary- another good looking guy but more manly looking than Jesse.

Jenny- the twin- doesn't make it. It would have been stupid to cast her, I think. They are showing her devastation for too long.

Kirsten- another contemporary girl- fake-out and she's in.

Yonnie- Mary talks about his sex appeal -fake-out- and he's in. Good. He IS very appealing.

Jeff- ukranian dancer- is in the top 20.

Denys is in. Lovely! Someone to vote for if he's as fabulous in the competition shows.

I might have missed commenting on someone who made it. My satellite internet is wonky, and I can't get pages to load.

Shalina is in.

Charlene is in.

Then they did a list of others who made it in- the expendables?

Justin is too weak in other genres, so it's a no, but they want him to dance in the finale.

Jo and Ruffino get a no too.

Danielle- makes it through, in spite of her breath problems.

Sebastien makes it through- I was expecting that. He's the 10th guy.

Jonathan becomes the 11th guy, because they are having a top 22.

Natalie, Chloe, and Brea are up for the last two spots. Interchangeable contemporary girls? Breanne is in and Chloe is the other one. And Natalie is in the top 22.

[rjblue]

Kani, Jera, Claudia, Edgar

Julia (yay- she is fierce)

Some of the names I missed.

Top 22 list- asterisk for the ones I like.

Guys:

Jesse
Shavar*
Mackenzie
Yonnie*
Jeff
Denys**
Sebastien*
Jonathan
Kani
Edgar
I missed one guy's name.

Girls:

Amanda
Kirsten
Shalina
Charlene
Danielle
Natalie
Chloe
Brea
Jera
Claudia
Julia*

I remember the guys much more than the girls. The shows this week should be really good.

[The Accordion]

I think this looks like a really strong top 22! And a ton of the people I like got in so I say yay!

Natalie and Kirsten both danced at Alex Wong's studio in Vancouver. Another yay from me.

The breaking the news to Jenny was awful and I agree - it went on way too long to bear.

Overall the fakeout is getting a bit old- but I suppose it is just part of it - and if that is what we have to put up with to see this kind of dancing and choreo - I can deal with it.

Looking forward to tomorrow night!

[Bailey_]

Jenny was heartbreaking to watch last night. She is such a lovely girl, I so wish that the news would have been better!

Remind me again - who were the former figure skaters and did they make it through?

[DustPuppyOI]

Brief bio's of top 22: http://thestar.blogs.com/realitychec...ler-alert.html

[Mozart]

The one you missed is Jera Wolfe. They loved him in his first audition and then he vanished from the show! He is the Cape Bretoner who studied at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School who did the ballet/b boy dance at the Calgary auditions

[jayta]

It looks like an all right cast. I think Danielle Gardner may be my fav at the moment. They've got a strong group of guys. We'll have to see how it unfolds.

[TygerLily]

I like that they picked 11 girls as well as guys, even though the guys seem stronger. I know the girls were weak overall in the US version this season, but another girl in the mix would have made the show more interested and there'd have been a chance that she would have shone.

Sebastian is my favourite, but we didn't really seen him dance much at finals, so I'll reserve my voting for after watching his partering skills. I like him in the same way I like Shawn Sawyer and Mark from SYTYCD USA.

The Cynthia look alike, Kirsten Wicklund, made it through Blake's contemporary, right? I finally caught up on all the youtube videos here (http://bit.ly/bLkwq8) and kept on thinking that in addition to Cynthia's looks, she unfortunately has her nerves!

She made it, so hopefully she'll get control of her nerves in front of the cameras!

Mainly though, I just feel sorry for Jayme Rae's sister Jenny. It's like the SYTYCDC version of Emily Hughes having to follow in the footsteps of Sarah Hughes. I'm glad that the dancers are so persistent though!

My heart was breaking for her. It seemed almost cruel that they let her go to the final round if they weren't going to choose her. Certainly I wish they hadn't spent so much time on her despair.

The breaking the news to Jenny was awful and I agree - it went on way too long to bear.

Overall the fakeout is getting a bit old

The worst part of the fake out is that since they do it almost every time, people like Jenny have extra hope that it's a fake-out, not a rejection. That extra hope might make the devastation worse than it otherwise would be.

[rjblue]

I mostly missed the first two dances because my sister called, so I have no comment, except that from the corner of my eye they didn't really wow me.

Yonni Fournier, 27, a salsa dancer , and someone -eta-Claudia Primeau, 26, a ballroom dancer - did a ballroom- salsa.

Kirsten Wicklund, 20, a contemporary ballet dancer and Jera Wolfe, 19, a ballet dancer and breaker did a Mandy Moore contemporary. Since none of the judges cried, it couldn't have been very good.

Amanda Cleghorn, 19, a contemporary dancer, Denys Drozdyuk (yay), 25, a ballroom dancer- Tango - Tony and Melanie. Amanda is too tall for him. But he was a phenomenal partner, and her legs are 2 miles long. Lurve him. Trey will have to have to fight me for him.

Charlene Hart, 24, a contemporary jazz dancer, and Jeff Mortensen, 22, a contemporary dancer (and Ukranian dancer)- Jive - Danny(nice to see him) choreo- Celebrity Status- Marianus Trench. Hmm- they looked like that choreo was waayyy to easy for them. Judges are not giving them praise. Maybe they left stuff out? Charlene's hair is very pretty.

[Mozart]

They did well rjblue!

[rjblue]

Danielle Gardner, 21, a contemporary dancer and Sebastian Mersch, 21, a contemporary dancer. I wonder who the judges want to get the tween vote-duh! Bollywood- Tera Hi Jalwal
They didn't seem to quite have it in synch. It was fun, but not the energy I was expecting.

[TygerLily]

Charlene Hart, 24, a contemporary jazz dancer, and Jeff Mortensen, 22, a contemporary dancer (and Ukranian dancer)- Jive - Danny(nice to see him) choreo- Celebrity Status- Marianus Trench. Hmm- they looked like that choreo was waayyy to easy for them. Judges are not giving them praise. Maybe they left stuff out? Charlene's hair is very pretty.

They missed a lift right at the beginning of the program. It's was pretty obvious, but they seemed to end strong.

[TygerLily]

Yonni Fournier, 27, a salsa dancer , and someone (?)- did a ballroom- ?salsa.

Yep, salsa. It was great, but Denys & Amanda were even better.

Partner = Claudia, who is the partner of someone from Season 1

(sorry for the double post)

The first three couples were all within their wheelhouses(?), but Leah said that they were the only lucky ones.

[rjblue]

Kloe Schultz, 20, a lyrical-jazz dancer and Jonathan Arsenault, 26, a contemporary dancer - Hip Hop with ShoTyme. I thought she did that quite a bit better than him. There is something about her I like.

It's hard not to double post in this lonely thread.

Julia Harnett, 26, a Latin ballroom and Jesse Weafer, 25, a contemporary dancer doing a New Disco. Lurve Julia's look. I hope I like this. Fame-Lady Gaga. What a costume they put her in. He has a great look when he dances, but not strong enough for her, I think.

[TygerLily]

I'm popping in during the ads!

Oh -- the big news off the top was that Shalaina is injured and can't dance this week. Jean-Marc said it was too late to sub another finalist (Jenny ), so we'll see what happens. A surprise guest is dancing with Hani (her partner) tonight. I don't understand the medical side of things, but I think it was some sort of bone crack in her fifth metatarsal, which is in danger of breaking if she keeps dancing. It sounds like the smart plan for her would to treat it/let it heal/whatever is necessary.

[rjblue]

Janick Arseneau, 20, a contemporary dancer(Go NB dancer!) and Shavar Blackwood, 20, a hip-hop dancer - Afro Jazz - love this genre. And love Sean's choreo. I though they did a really good job of getting in to the earthy groundedness of this dance. One of the most enjoyable of the night. I like her a lot.