Movie Review: Trainwreck

Judd Apatow isn’t for everyone. Amy Schumer isn’t for everyone. This “romantic comedy” is longer than 2 hours. Put all these things together and this movie could have been a disaster. So once the movie was over I was utterly surprised that my first thought was, “Wow, this might be the first and ONLY movie I’ve ever like of Judd Apatow’s.”

Trainwreck
Directed by: Judd Apatow
Starring: Amy Schumer, Bill Hader, Brie Larson, John Cena, Vanessa Bayer, Tilda Swinton, Randall Park, Ezra Miller

Amy Schumer isn’t for everyone, but apparently she is for me. She has this great way of putting into words everything I’ve ever felt or thought and experienced but without any filter. No one’s life is perfect, but sometimes I can’t help but feel my life is just one really, really, REALLY long sitcom. And somehow Amy knows just how to put those feelings into hilarious, over-the-top, yet somehow relatable words.

To make a LOOONNG story short. Trainwreck is about a carefree and independent a woman named Amy. She has a successful job, an endless string of one night stands and no desire to change her ways according to the mantra her father instilled in her at a young age, “monogamy isn’t realistic.” Then one day Amy meets a guy, possibly THEE guy. He’s the guy who makes her want to change her ways even if it goes against everything instinct she had engrained in her.

Trainwreck is goofy, surprisingly touching, frustrating, endearing and funny. While it is in no way perfect, and emotionally it’s all over the place, any inconsistencies and odd moments are made up for in a fantastic sweet and satisfying ending. Good romantic comedies with great endings are really hard to find, but despite the fact that this is an Apatow movie, Trainwreck is the best I’ve seen in a while thanks to Amy Schumer (who also wrote the script.)

Rating 3.5 out of 5 stars

So You Think You Can Dance, Season 12: Top 18 Perform + 2 Eliminated

I don’t always like who gets eliminated on these shows, but this was the first show where I really felt strongly that the judges got it WRONG. So wrong….

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE
Season 12
TOP 18 PERFORM / 2 ELIMINATED

Top 18 Group Routine
This routine had a little bit of every style in it. I felt some Latin Ballroom, Bollywood, and African Styles in there. It was joyful and happy and Virgil was the PERFECT person to put in the forefront. His smile is contagious. He looked like he was having a lot more fun than the other dancers. While I felt that some dancers had more energy than the other dancers, overall this was just a fun routine and a great way to kick off the show. (Song: “Let the Groove Get In” by Justin Timberlake, Choreographers: Reina Hidalgo & Asiel Hardison)

Cat emerges and tells us Team Street has 48% of the vote and Team Stage has 52%.

THE ROUTINES

Who: Alexia, Derek (Team Stage) and JaJa (Team Street)
Style: Contemporary
Choreographer: Stacey Tookey
Song: “All Waters” by Perfume Genius
Performance: Trio’s are always a little awkward. But this one actually worked pretty well.  The piece was haunting and I could feel the emotion coming from the dancers. I have to say Derek really won me over in this routine. I haven’t been the greatest fan of him, and maybe it was the uniform and the haircut, but I felt like he was really strong. He had this great moment where he did this leap then dragged himself backwards across the stage, it was so powerful. Alexia and JaJa were equally as fantastic. Alexia’s in the air pirouette was beautiful and JaJa brought a little something extra to her movements, her animation technique really coming out. The piece really was beautiful and emotional. Grade: A-
Judges: Nigel loved seeing Derek partner with the ladies. Alexia was strong and JaJa looks like a contemporary dancer. He really understood her emotions. Paula loves how Stacey blended the dancers strengths. Paula felt like Derek has never danced better and she loves how much JaJa is growing. Jason understood the story that the dancers were telling.

Who: Megz (Team Street) Moises, and Jim (Team Stage)
Style: Hip Hop
Choreographer: JaQuel Knight
Song: “Whuteva” by Remy Ma
Performance: Megz was straight up killin’ it. She just had this undeniable presence all the while she was on stage. She totally stole the show. She will not be denied. I loved her attitude, the way she was light on her feet and just the way she moved with total ease. Like this was just another walk in the park for her. The boys had a harder time. While they both started off strong, I felt like Jim grew weaker and weaker throughout the performance. He definitely had to think about what he was doing. Moises looked natural while playing the part, but they both definitely had to keep up with Megz who was a force to be reckoned with. Grade: B-
Judges: Paula calls the routine not technically challenging and wanted more emotion and swag from the dancers. Jason definitely felt that Megz was stronger and the boys were her backup dancers. Nigel said it didn’t work and feels like the dancers need to find their attitude.

Who: Edson (Team Stage), JJ, and Yorelis (Team Street)
Style: Jazz
Choreographer: Tovaris Wilson
Song: “Restart” by Sam Smith
Performance: I don’t know if it was the choreography, or the dancers, or what, but the whole routine felt AWKWARD. Was it just me? I did focus more on Edson who didn’t quite get into character. The girls felt like backup dancers and didn’t really have their moment to shine. It was just an awkward routine. Something was WAAY off. Grade: C-
Judges: They dancers need to work on their techniques, Edson needs to be more free, overall performance not that great.

Who: Asaf (Team Street) and Marissa (Team Stage)
Style: Cha Cha
Choreographer: Jean Marc Genereux
Song: “”+1” Martin Solveig feat Sam White
Performance: So, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be, but it wasn’t great. The two dancers never connected with each other. Marissa was hot, and Asaf looks hot, but they didn’t sizzle together. It’s like the other person didn’t even exist. The lifts were labored and while Marissa had some great facial expressions they didn’t seem to be 100% generous. There was one lift where Asaf actually took a few moments to place Marissa on the ground, it really took me out of the piece. As for dancing the actual cha-cha? It’s times like this you need Mary Murphy to explain it….Grade: D
Judges: Nigel says it doesn’t feel like Cha Cha, as if the piece were choreographed to protect them. Nigel said Marissa didn’t connect with Asaf. Though Asaf didn’t dance well he acknowledges that he worked hard. Paula says Asaf should continue to grow and that Marissa was selfless in her dancing. Marissa says she wasn’t there for her partner.

Who: Gaby (Team Stage), Ariana and Burim (Team Street)
Style: African Jazz
Choreographer: Sean Cheeseman
Song: “Gorilla” by Lord KraVen
Performance: The piece opens up with them looking like a spider. That’s pretty rad. Then they go into the routine with crutch like pieces on their hands that go up and down. It’s pretty unique. The whole routine is gritty and dirty and messy  and fully of energy. I LOVE IT. Ariana was killing it and Gaby was right there with her. That series of flips the girls did was pretty incredible. While Burim wasn’t perfect (he needed to get low and throw his head into it like the girls were) I was surprised by how much he held his own when in the package he seemed to be totally off. Sure the piece could have been better but the great choreography and the exciting story really made this routine a performance to remember. Grade: B
Judges: Paula loves that Burim made it through the routine. Paula thought the performance was refreshing and the girls were super strong. Jason acknowledges a little mess up Burim made where he missed Gaby’s foot, he thought conceptually this was one of the best pieces. Nigel thought Ariana looked comfortable and is proud of Gaby. Nigel suggests that Burim get down.

Who: Kate (Team Stage) and Neptune (Team Street)
Style: Contemporary
Choreographer: Justin Giles
Song: “Promise” by Ben Howard
Performance: I love how the music was simply and flowy and gentle while their movements were sharp and jagged and raw. I also love how connected the dancers seemed with each other even though I wish they were even more. There were a few moments in there where they just looked at each other and smiled and I wanted more of those moments. There was also a moment where the music swelled and I wished the dancing matched that moment. That being said the piece was beautifully danced and very emotional. I love couples dancing, can we just have all couples? Grade: B+/A-
Judges: Jason loved their connection and thought Kate was great. Nigel thought so much was said during the routine and he loved what the dances gave them. Paula worried about Kate letting go and thought she was just right in the piece. Neptune is becoming Paula’s favorite and she sees how emotional he was.

Who: Hailee (Team Stage) and Virgil (Team Street)
Style: Hip Hop
Choreographer: Phoenix and Pharside
Song: “Runnin’” by Noahplause
Performance: It’s so insane just how good this piece was. I mean it was SO good. It was out of this world. Haha, get it? Hailee really won me over. Her personality came out in loads in this piece and I LOVE IT. They were both in total sync all the time, they moved like robots, and they used every piece of their body to do cool things. There was animation tutting with the hands and feet. Hailee stepped up on Virgil’s ARM – that was insane! – and there was just so much to love in this piece. It made me excited. It made me yell out at the TV, it made me rewind my DVR. And that’s what I love about this show. Grade: A
Judges: Nigel loved their personality in this piece. He says the routine was very memorable. Paula loved their committement and thought it was a lot of fun. Jason thought Hailee was incredible at street and had no idea she could be that good.

Team Stage Group Routine
Choreographer: Jaci Royal
Song: “For My Help” by Hayden Cainin
Performance: I love the musicality of this piece. This piece was so raw and the dancers had to have so much athleticism. I love when the dancers have to use their entire bodies and they just threw themselves around the stage. They even dragged a dancer around on their heads! I love the shapes they created, how the men fit the women together like legos, but then the piece exploded with the crescendo of the music. I also loved Alexia dancing on the backs of the other dancers almost like she was flying. Excellent, excellent piece.
Grade: A

Team Street Group Routine
Choreographer: Marty Kudelka
Song: “Break Ya Neck” by Busta Rhymes
Performance: They were slick, they had swag and attitude, but I think this piece would have been a lot better had they danced in sync. It was hard core, but they could have hit it harder. Some dancers were dancing better than others, but I found it lacking. I knew what it could have been and should have been, but it wasn’t really.
Grade: B

---

Bottom Six

• Moises – Team Stage
• Edson – Team Stage
• Kate – Team Stage
• Asaf – Team Street
• Ariana – Team Street
• Burim – Team Street

My Thoughts
Who do I want to go home? Well Asaf and…ack, I can’t decide between Moises and Edson. I like them both! Moises has more personality than Edson, but Edson is a better dancer. As for the other dancers in the bottom six Burim and Kate were really good today, and it’s not Ariana’s time to go home yet.

Twitter Save: Ariana and Kate

Judges Save: Asaf (???) and Edson

Eliminated: Burim and Moises

My Thoughts
WHAT!? Really?? Asaf over Burim? Come on! Burim killed it today and Asaf was terrible. Why why are they keeping Asaf? Is it just for the drama? Seriously, someone tell me why!? I’m sad to see Moises going home, but Edson is the better dancer even if I think Moises did better than Edson tonight.

Random Thoughts

• How many hats do you think Twitch owns?
• I love how Cat gives the dancers words of encouragements even when she’s delivering bad news
• When judging Asaf Paula says I could tell you all the things you did wrong, but I won’t do that. What matters is that you’re trying. Um…shouldn’t you tell him what he did so he can get better? Isn’t that what you’re judging? You’re not just here to deliver superlatives, give him some actual critique he can use to do better! Come on!
• I miss judges that actually give real critique. Yes, Mary Murphy was crazy, but at least she gave some real feedback, most of the time.
• I also miss the guest judges, what happened to the jokes of Jesse Tyler Ferguson, the snarky quips of Anna Kendrick, or just Neil Patrick Harris. Paula is too nice, and Jason has no idea what he’s talking about. You can’t take any of his “critique” seriously. BOOOOORRRRING!

Favorite Quotes:

• Cat: So what he’s saying is keep your options open.
• Nigel: That’s my girl.

• Paula: Burim, I love watching your package.

• Cat as Virgil was leaving the stage: “Look at his little butt going.”

Top 5 Performances

1. Hailee and Virgil – Hip Hop
2. Team Stage Group Routine
3. JaJa, Alexia, and Derek – Contemporary
4. Kate and Neptune – Contemporary
5. Burim, Ariana, and Gaby – African Jazz

Final Thoughts
I still can’t believe the judges saved Asaf over Burim. But hopefully that means he’ll be going home next week because I seriously don’t know who would be up for elimination next week. Maybe Marissa, but she’s a great dancer she just had a lousy partner. Maybe Ariana again because she was only so so today. But seriously it’s crazy how much these dancers have grown on me. My votes tonight are for JaJa, Neptune, and Virgil…Kate might get one vote. While I think Team Stage won the group routine, Team Street won individually.

***ALSO! Next week and probably from now on, my review on the show might now come so quickly. In fact, you may have to wait for the weekend. But it will come.***

Movie Review: Ant-Man

I like Marvel movies, I do, but they tend to stick to a certain formula when making its origin movies, or really making any movies for that matter. That being said there’s this undeniable force behind the movies that keep bringing me back time and time again: The movies have the ability to seamlessly blend humor, wit, charm, action, and amazing special effects. And they are always impeccable with the casting.

Marvel’s
ANT MAN

Directed By: Peyton Reed
Starring: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Corey Stoll, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Peña, Bobby Cannavale,
Judy Greer, Patrick Wilson, David Dastmalchian, Anthony Mackie

So okay, the plot is a little iffy, the whole “rag-tag, Ocean’s 11, steal an important relic but not before a big training montage” has been done to death. And there are many looming plot problems that put the entire story line into question (but I won’t spoil it, lest it be like that time on Big Bang Theory when Amy ruined the entire plot of Indiana Jones for Sheldon). Plus there’s a complete lack of a big female presence thing, except for Evangeline Lily who is awesome, but could really use another woman to talk to.

However, despite all these things there is one big thing in Ant Man that makes the movie worth watching even if none of the rest interests you. No, it’s not Paul Rudd’s undeniable self-deprecating charm, it’s not the incredible attention to detail in the “shrinking” special effects (that bathtub scene is so awesome), nor is it the awesome action sequences such as Hawkeye and Ant-Man battling it out. The thing, or rather person that makes Ant-Man worth watching is Michael Peña.

Michael Peña plays Luis, Scott Lang’s (Paul Rudd) partner-in-crime friend. But Peña manages to take the terms “goofy sidekick” to a whole other level. Luis is full of joy, even if things are going absolutely terrible in his life. Perpetually stoned, everything that comes out of his mouth is hilarious. But the thing that works is that you don’t write Luis off as just a goof-ball, you genuinely like the dude. And that is the genius of Michael Peña. Luis is not just comic relief, he’s much more.

We have to remember Ant-Man is the origin movie. It’s the TV equivalent to a pilot meaning there is room to grow. Now that we know the characters, now that we know his backstory, we can be launched into some exciting adventures. I can’t wait to see Paul Rudd and Ant-Man integrated into the MCU, Captain America: Civil War, and Avengers. Because we all know that the Marvel movies work best when all their characters are together.

Rating: 3 ½ out of 5 stars

So You Think You Can Dance: 10 Years of Dance Special Edition

So You Think You Can Dance is celebrating 10 years and 12 seasons.  They’ve promised some of our favorite routines, celebrities, and the All-Stars. I can’t wait!

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE

Ten Years of Dance: Special Edition

The show starts off with an All-Star routine choreographed by Travis Wall. Is anyone else slightly geeking out over seeing Allison and Travis together again? Everything I see them I always think of that moment Allison was eliminated and danced for Travis. The piece is strong and powerful and each dancer gives it their all. Not to knock the Top 20, but they are still learning and it’s easy to see why these dancers are All-Stars. They just give it that little something extra. It was great seeing most of my favorites, Travis, Robert, Allison, Alex, Brandon, Kathryn, Jaimie, Jasmine, Marko and I think that last girl was Jenna right? (Song: “My Tears Are Becoming A Sea” by M83).

Cat emerges wearing a beautiful dress that’s a party in the front and elegant in the back. It’s a gorgeous color accompanied by sparkly wrist cuffs.

THE FAVORITE ROUTINES

Nigel’s Pick
Season 2
Choreographed by: Mia Michaels
The Piece: The Bench
Song: “Calling You” by Celine Dion
Who: Travis Wall and Kathryn McCormick
Performance: Of all the versions of this routine that have been done before (with exception to the original with Heidi of course), this by far is the best. I still get chills every time Travis reaches for his partner through the bench, or he rejects his partners sun flower, or that leap. And I just love Kathryn she’s really grown a lot from her time on the show.

Jason’s Pick
Season 10
Choreographed by: Nappy Tabs
The Piece: Run The World
Song: “Run The World (Girls)” by Beyonce
Who: Jasmine Harper and Comfort
Performance: This was definitely one of my favorite pieces of the season. I can’t believe it took 10 seasons to have a female/female duo perform (or at least according to Jason, is this true?) The routine is just as sassy and as fierce as the first time I saw it. I think the girls might be hitting it a little harder than I remember.

Paula’s Pick
Season 3
Choreographed by: Wade Robeson
The Piece: The Flower and The Hummingbird
Song: “The Chainman’s Waltz“ from Memoirs of a Geisha Soundtrack
Who: Jaimie Goodwin and Hok
Performance: Hok, guys! Remember Hok? I do! I love that they brought him back! I haven’t seen this routine in a long time so it was really nice to see it again. It’s a fantastic piece. I love how the intricate moves juxtaposes with the simple music.

Cat’s Pick
Season 10
Choreographed by: Mark Kanemura
The Piece: K-Pop
Song: “I Am The Best” by 2NE1
Who: Mark Kanemura and Jenna Johnson
Performance: Great seeing Mark. I had forgotten about this piece and I actually like it a lot more than I originally did, I think. Also love the use of the song. This song got really popular and well known after I heard it on this show.

America’s Pic
Season 7
Choreographed by: Travis Wall
The Piece: For Travis Mom
Song: “Fix You” by Coldplay
Who: Robert Roldan and Allison Holker
Performance: Man, when that music swells, it gets me. Every. Damn. Time.

Favorite Routine of All Time
Season 7
Choreographed by: Nappy Tabs
The Piece: Outta Your Mind
Song:  “Outta Your Mind” by Lil Jon feat LM*AO
Who: Stephen “Twitch” Boss and Alex “Freakin’” Wong
Performance: I remembered going “outta my mind” when I first saw this piece. This is the piece that launched Alex into being an all-star even though he didn’t finish the season. I loved how the audience originally freaked out and the roar was so loud. When thinking about my favorite routine of all time this one definitely came to mind. God, I love these two guys.

MY FAVORITE ROUTINE OF ALL TIME
As for my favorite routine….It’s hard. I can’t pick one. There are so many favorites.  From early on in the series Ivan and Allison’s “Why,” to probably one of my favorite seasons ever, Katee and Joshua’s “Hometown Glory” or Katee and Twitch’s “Mercy, to even the group routines “Ramalama Bang Bang” or “Puttin’ On The Ritz.” There’s also Marko and Melanie’s “Turn to Stone” or the sexy “Misty Blue” with Jasmine and Twitch. I. Can’t. Pick. So instead, for your viewing pleasure…watch the routine I’ve been talking about this entire post!

RANDOM THOUGHTS

• Love the little mini solos of the season 12 contestants.
• Loved the shout out to Wade Robeson. Can So You Think bring back “Ramalama Bang Bang” again now?
• Cat told us this show as the launch pad for many artists and she is right. I discovered Regina Specktor, One Republic, Hozier, and many other artists from this show. I remember the first time I heard Ramalama I HAD to download the song and subsequently downloaded her entire album. Same with One Republic. When they first played their song “Apologize” on So You Think I remember being so frustrated that the song WASN’T ON iTUNES at the time.

I know So You Think You Can Dance has been struggling in the ratings, but I really love the show. Here’s to (hopefully) another 10 years of great dancing!

So You Think You Can Dance Season 12: Top 20 Perform & 2 Eliminated

So, I’m still skeptical on this new format. So many new and weird things. No more duets? Now we have trios and mini-groups? That’s just weird, you don’t get a chance to know the dancers. And the twitter saves? Cool, but it leaves out the West Coast viewers…Like me! How can I vote if I don’t know how they’ve performed yet? But the one thing that hasn’t changed about this show are routines that you feel passionate about, that make you say WHOA, or that make you rewind it time and time again…Here we go folks! (And as always I recap the shows in real time.)

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE: SEASON 12

Top 20 Perform/2 Eliminated

The show opens with a really cool opening Top 20 hip-hop number to the song “Baila Como Yo” by District 78 –only the routine wasn’t completely hip hop. It blended a lot of styles, latin ball room, breaking, I think I spotted a little bit of African style dancing too, etc. All the dancers are dressed in the style of Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). The routine is high energy, really giving the street performers a chance to shine. My favorite move by far was Virgil’s run into a in the air somersault as he is caught by another dancer. Definitely a WOW moment.  (Choreographed by Pharside and Phoenix)

I’m mesmerized by Cat’s jewels that are designed by XIVKARATS. They swing from Cat’s ears hypnotizing me, so I’m barely paying attention to her into. Something about Ryan Secreast…the show has 8 Emmy Nominations…something something…eliminations tonight!…live tweet? Totally unfair to the West Coast. I don’t like SPOILERS but I’d still like to have a say. What gives East Coast?

Who: Darion & Hailee (Team Stage) and Yorelis (Team  Street)
Style:  Salsa
Choreographed: Oksana and Jonathan
Song: “Blucutu” by Saamara
Performance/My Thoughts: First of all, salsa as a trio? Super weird. Trios for ballroom dancing are just as awkward as solo ballroom dancers, second, Darion already has a lot against him with Travis calling him out during rehearsals. As for the performance, it just felt a little low energy, especially from Darion and Yorelis. I didn’t feel their personalities come out. Hailee out shined them just a bit really committing to her role. That being said the routine, overall felt really difficult. It was so intricate, there were so many moving parts and twists and turns. It looked so much harder than just a couples routine, but I guess that’s just the thing, even if it is hard, it shouldn’t look hard and the whole routine just looked labored. Even though Mary isn’t here, they still don’t belong on the hot tamale train. Grade: C
Judges: Jason says he missed the heat and sexiness of the routine. Nigel thinks the girls were really hot, but Darion lacked the energy. The judges also noticed the botched lift. Paula thought the ladies gave it their all. Hailee has great focus. Paula recognizes the fact that Darion has it hard because he had to partner two girls.

Who: Derek (Team Stage) and Ariana (Team Street)
Style: Jazz
Choreographer: Ray Leeper
Song: “Cry Me A River” by Michael Buble
Performance/My Thoughts: Great song. Great great great song. Downloading it now. This song was so intense and it really elevated their performance. At first I wasn’t sure. The costumes were strange, they weren’t dancing in sync, I just wasn’t really feeling it. But then the music picked up and their dancing did too. They hit these steps and leaps where they were perfectly together and everything else just seemed to fall into place. I LOVE the fact that their outfits were simple, and there wasn’t the pretty but distracting poofy skirt. I loved the routines just elevating the performances on their face. Derek is great, but Ariana really won me over. I thought she was fantastic. Derek may have stretched and reached just a bit further but she really brought the emotion and intensity through her sharp hand and arm movements. Grade: B
Judges: Paula liked the juxtaposition between the song and the dancing. Paula thought Ariana nailed it even though she used the word “attempt.” However she thinks they needed more of an emotional connection with each other. Jason wants to see more of a performance behind the eyes. Nigel is shocked by Ariana’s performance. Nigel loves Derek’s technique but feels like Derek needs to change his expression.

Who: Alexia (Team Stage), Virgil & Megz (Team Street)
Style:  Contemporary
Choreographer: Dee Caspary
Song:  “Until We Go Down” by Ruelle
Performance/My Thoughts: Alexia really stood out for me in this piece and you can tell she was meant to. Her dancing was super strong and powerful. Megz is such a personality but unfortunately I felt like some of it was lost and she was overshadowed by Virgil and Alexia.  I really wanted her movements to be much better. Virgil held his own. I thought he was really great in supporting these girls and bringing out some of himself in the movements. When they danced together they were great and they had a lot of energy even though it seemed that Megz was slightly off. Overall it was good, but there’s definitely room for improvement. Grade: B-
Judges: Nigel says Alexia slides under the radar, but she’s so good and her performance should be recognized. Nigel loved Megz movement, and says that Virgil’s personality shines through. Paula loved them all. Jason calls Virgil a top contender.

Who: Lily, Burim (Team Street), Gaby, Edson (Team Stage)
Style: Bollywood
Choreographer: Nakul Dev Mahajan
Song: “Dhol Baaje” by Ek Paheli Leela (Soundtrack)
Performance/My Thoughts: Oh Burim Burim Burim…you are trying. I see you you’re trying your little heart out, but he was just off this entire piece. I kinda felt bad for him. The ladies definitely outshined the men with Gaby winning the day. It seemed like Edson and Burim needed more energy. Their jumps and movements were lacking height and excitement. Bollywood is high energy with sharp and precise movements and high high energy and the boys felt like they were lacking. It was hard to tell Gaby and Lily apart but they both did a great job and were just giving it a bit more than the boys were. Gaby definitely had a few moments where she stood out. You could just tell the way she was moving was different from the others. Grade: B-
Judges:  Jason thought they had a lot of energy. Nigel thought the girls were terrific but that he didn’t learn much from the boys. He thought they could have been stronger. Paula enjoyed the number she could tell Burim was having fun.

Who: Kate (Team Stage), Neptune, Asaf (Team Street)
Style: Broadway
Choreographer: Spencer Liff
Song: “All About That Bass” by Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox feat. Kate Davis.
Performance/My Thoughts: The routine felt simple. Like really simple. That’s not to say I couldn’t see what Spencer was going for. But I also saw what it could have been. First let me say Neptune is FANTASTIC. Every time he has his bit where he pulled on his Tuba or what not he just OOZED with personality. It was electric. Kate was sexy giving off a very good performance even if it seemed like she was less dancing and more posturing. And I was just afraid to look at Asaf. He tried to keep up. But overall this routine was waaay too simple, I want a little more POP and WOW. Grade: C
Judges: Paula thought Spencer’s choreography was very inventive. She thought Neptune was creative and innovative, thought Kate was beautiful, and that Asaf is the most improved. Jason says Kate has a quiet confidence and that he’s proud of Neptune. Nigel notices how hard Neptune has been working and tells Asaf to get out of his head.

Who: Ja Ja (Team Street) and Jim (Team Stage)
Style: Hip Hop
Choreographer: Christopher Scott
Song: “No Woman, No Cry (Live Version)” by Bob Marley & The Wailers
Performance/My Thoughts: Ok, see, that is what I’m looking for in my So You Think You Can Dance Routines. Emotion, creativity, camera in close, two dancers connecting…UGH, this routine was pretty much just PERFECT. I love animation. The little ticks animators do using every heartbeat of the music. And both Jim –A Ballet Dancer—and Ja Ja a hard core krumper animator were able to do this to an emotional heart felt piece. This piece just had so much joy. And I loved the emotion on Ja Ja’s face. It felt real and genuine. There was so much stuff to love about this piece. The tutting the section, the glides, the jumps, Ja Ja’s wacking part… Ja Ja is a star. She’s a force to be reckoned with and it’s hard not to watch her when she’s on screen, but Jim held his own and this piece was fabulous. Grade: A
Judges: Nigel loved seeing the world of Ballet come together with Hip Hop and connect. It made him emotional. Paula loved the softness in Ja Ja. Jason loved seeing different sides of the dancers.

Who: Marissa, Moises (Team Stage), JJ (Team Street)
Style: Jazz
Choreographer: Ray Leeper
Song:  “I’m So Sorry” by Imagine Dragons
Performance/My Thoughts: Despite some wobbles and bobbles, I really liked this piece. I thought it was powerful, energetic, flashy and hardcore. Marissa is a beast. I thought she knocked it out of the park she had such power and movement and she was really invested in the piece. JJ didn’t shine as bright as Marissa but she really held her own and in the times when she was dancing with Marissa or all three together it really worked because they were all dancing the same. As for Moises, he really had a lot to do in this piece and he was doing it all. In the beginning he made some mistakes but at the end he really picked it up and he didn’t let the girls outshine him. All the dancers threw themselves into this piece. Grade: B+
Judges: Jason loves Moises strength, he thought Marissa and JJ’s emotion was inconsistent, that her smile brought him out of the story. Nigel makes a bible joke and thought Moises held his own against the two strong women. Paula disagrees with the boys saying when you’re beating up on a boy you should have a smile on your face. Right on Paula!

Who: Team Street
Choreographer: Phillip Chebeeb & Christopher Scott
Song: “Time” by Nathan Lanier
Performance/My Thoughts: This piece was super cool and super intricate and there were so many places to look. I really love the whole see saw thing. It really made for some creative shapes. One of the things I love about Christopher Scott is that he really knows how to make each dancer shine. My only thing is that there was so much to do and see and a lot of the cool moments took a lot of time to create on stage that I felt like the camera got lost sometimes. I wanted to look somewhere else from where the camera was shooting. Who’s directing this stuff? Grade: A-

Who: Team Stage
Choreographer: Travis Wall
Song: “Stabat Mater” by Woodkid
Performance/My Thoughts: Where is there was too much to look at on Team Street, Team Stage really danced as one. They may have been dancing different steps sometimes, but it just felt more cohesive. The routine was really intense and they used the stage really well. I had to rewind Jim’s trust fall move because it was really incredible. The dancers swung him up a couple of times then he did a backwards somersault into a one legged move and then fell back. It was CRAZY cool. Overall this routine was heart pumping, intense and exciting. It also made me tired just watching it. Grade: A

RESULTS TIME

IN DANGER

• Darion – Team Stage
• Derek – Team Stage
• Ariana – Team Street
• Lily –Team Street
• Neptune – Team Street
• Moises – Team Stage

ELIMINATION

Twitter Saves: Neptune and Moises

Judges Save:  Derek and Ariana

Going Home: Lily and Darion

My Thoughts:  Based on this weeks performances the right people are going home. Moises killed it today and he deserves to stay. Neptune and Ariana did fantastic work today while I felt Derek, Darion, and Lily disappeared into the background in this weeks routines. However if you combine this week with last week, I think Darion should have been given another chance (his ballet routine last week was so great). Lily and Ariana is a tougher call. Ariana had a rough week last week while Lily shined in her routine, but this week Ariana stood out and Lily faded into the background. I’ll be sad to see Lily and Darion go.

RANDOM THOUGHTS

• The bad thing with street vs stage is that it seems as if all the judges are going easy on the street dancers because everything is out of their style and are going harder on the stage dancers or looking them over because it is in their style and they are expecting them to be good. I don’t think that’s entirely fair.

• Asaf struggling with choreography:
• Asaf: “Whoa, never give up.”
• Spencer: “Never give up? You’ve been here for 10 minutes.”

• I love Paula telling Asaf to just enjoy the process because he will never have anything like this again. It’s true. Where is Mia Michaels to give this kid a breakdown when you NEED her?
• Whoa…I am surprised Asaf is safe over Neptune. REALLY?

• Ja Ja: “I almost said a curse word.”
• Christopher: “That’s okay, I can’t understand what you’re saying anyway.”

• Are those tears in Christopher Scotts EYES? I love it! I. Love. It.
• Who wins the Group Routine Battle, in my opinion? TEAM STAGE (The Judges seem to agree.)

TOP 5 ROUTINES

1. Jim and Ja Ja – Hip Hop
2. Team Stage Group Routine
3. Team Street Group Routine
4. Marissa, Moises, JJ – Jazz
5. Derek and Ariana – Jazz

FINAL THOUGHTS
My favorite are still Ja Ja and Jim, they have my votes. My other favorites JJ and Gaby could have stood out a little more this week. As for next week Asaf is definitely in danger…can he please be in danger?  I’ve just had enough of his drama. Either put him in danger or someone break him down so he can bust out and be super super amazing . Also in danger? I’d say Hailee, Kate, Edson and Burim. Well that’s all folks until….TOMORROW!! For the 10 year (even though there’s been 12 seasons) anniversary of So You Think You Can Dance! Dance! Dance!

So You Think You Can Dance Season 12: Top 20 Perform

After weeks of auditions and a grueling 2-episode Vegas week, the time has come for the Top 20 Dancers to finally show their stuff! And to also see how exactly this whole Stage vs. Street thing is going to work!

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE: SEASON 12
Top 20 Perform

The show starts off very dramatic, the dancers walking out from their respective venues in super slow motion, but then it turns into this super cool montage of the dancers showing off their skills. It’s pretty cool. All that intensity turns in to a battle of the styles like Top 10 performance to “Revolt” by Nathan Lanier (Choreographed by Christopher Scott and Jessica Lee Keller). And it’s like stimulation overload! So many places to look…wait is that Asaf?

After the cute introductions, our Host extraordinaire Cat Deely comes out wearing a really cute outfit. The top is a mixture of white graphic shapes held together that attaches to the skirt with a black panel underneath and a simple black pencil skirt (according to her Instagram it was designed by Thierry Mugler).

Cat tells us that the injured dancer teased from last episode is Hurricane and he had to leave the show. Taking his place is Asaf, which in a way is surprising for me. I hope they are keeping him because he really is good and not just for the drama. This show doesn’t need that kind of drama. It should just be about the dancing. I guess we shall see.

THE ROUTINES

Who: Megz, Neptune, Jessica — Team Street
Choreographer: David Scott
Song: “The Illest” by Far East Movement feat. Riff Raff
Performance:  It’s a cool routine, but it also felt mellow to me and it was lacking a bit of energy. Maybe it was because of the music?  I was a little distracted from the weird camera work (can’t you just keep the entire dancer in frame from the front head to toe?) to the choppy editing (side, front, dolly, steadicamp, side shakiness, pick a shot and stay on it for more than 3 seconds!). But about the dancing, I wanted more, and as much as I love Jessica, Megz stuck out the most for me. She has such a unique look. My Grade: C
Judges: Paula wants the dancers to commit to their characters.  Jason was a little let down by the performance and he wanted them to think more about their movements.

Who:  Moises, Gaby, Derek – Team Stage
Choreographer: Stacey Tookey
Song: “Luminous” by Max Richter
Performance: The routine was really pretty and flowy and I love it when dancers dance to instrumental pieces rather than poppy pieces.  Stand outs were definitely Gaby and Moises. Moises has great extension, next to Derek you could just see he just reached a little bit further than Derek and Gaby, being a tappy was pretty brilliant. She moved like a contemporary dancer. I liked that the routine focused on how the three of them worked together rather than tricks. My Grade: B+
Judges: Paula thought it was beautiful. Jason thought it was unreal and thought Gaby was incredible. Nigel loved it when they danced in unison.  Nigel was impressed by Gaby.

Who: Lily, Jaja, Asaf Burim – Team Street
Choreographer: Christopher Scott
Song: “Easy (Switch Screens)” by Son Lux feat. Lorde
Performance: As much as a train wreck rehearsal seemed to be, the performance was really incredible. First, Asaf really surprised me. He kept up with the choreographer and was able to bring his brooding personality into it. Same for Jaja, her movements were sharp and tight and she was still able to provide personality and facial expressions. Lily and Burim didn’t stand out as much as I liked them too (except for the beginning where they each had their moment to shine) but overall I was really impressed by the routine and how in sync they were. My Grade: B+
Judges: Standing O from the judges. Jason call sit beasty. Nigel thinks Lily sticks out. Paula thought it was strong, powerful and awesome.

Who: Alexia, Hailee, Marissa – Team Stage
Choreographer: Brian Friedman
Song: “New Dorp. New York” by SBTRKT feat. Ezra Koenig
Performance: The routine was strong and sexy. I thought this routine had everything going for it. Costume, stilettos, music, props, it was the full on performance very well thought out by Friedman. Hailee stood out for me but not in a good way, she seemed a bit shaky and a bit off to me.  My Grade: B
Judges: Nigel says they need to be careful about being too sexy in their performances. Paula adds on saying they are dressed sexy the routine is sexy so they need to be more subtle in their performances. Their dancing however was great.

Who: Darion & Jim – Team Stage
Choreographer: Benoit Swan Pouffer
Song: “Blood and Stone” by Audiomachine
Performance: I love how connected the two guys were with each other. It started off a little rocky and seemed like they were both in their own little worlds, then Darion looked at Jim, their eyes connected and they were in total sync with each other. The routine was powerful, strenuous, and beautiful. It was empowering, you could feel the strength and endurance the guys needed to get through this performance. It really was incredible. My Grade: A-
Judges:  Paula loves these two dudes, Jason was floored and says he will remember this performance. Nigel thought Jim stood out and his incredible feet. He wants more light in Darion’s eyes.

Who: Yorelis, Virgil, Ariana – Team Street
Choreographer: Pharside and Phoenix
Song: “Locked Out of Heaven” by Bruno Mars
Performance: While the song was a little distracting and the concept of the routine a little cheesy, I have to say Virgil killed it. He was the definitely stand out for me. He reminds me a lot of Fik Shun mixed with Carlton. He has just this goofy personality and this stunning smile that makes him hard to take your eyes off of. He his personality really shines thorough when he is dancing. He just seems like a really fun dude. And to be honesty the other girls just faded into the background. He was definitely the star. I loved the tutting section and the part where Virgll laid on the ground and popped himself up like he was levitating. My Grade: B-
Judges: Jason liked the tutting section. It was good not great. Nigel uses the word fly that he should never use again. Nigel wants them to push it even more and thought the girls held their own against Virgil. Paula wants them to always be in the moment even when it’s not their moment.

Who: Edson and Kate – Team Stage
Choreographer: Travis Wall
Song: “Shaped Like a Gun” by Taylor
Performance: This might be my favorite performance of the night. I love those performances you just get so engrossed in. I loved the gentle, delicate moments and also the moments of intensity. Once thing Travis always does well is create these beautiful transitions like Edson tossing Kate in the air and her landing on one foot. OR Edson dragging Kate back and she flips over doing this kick move. Each movement never ends where you think it’s going to end. Kate was the standout for me. Grade: A-
Judges: Nigel didn’t understand what their emotions in the piece was about. He doesn’t like the whole reaching and smiling thing. Paula didn’t feel the chemistry; she felt like they were holding something back. Jason wants them to live the movement.

GROUP ROUTINES

Who: Team Stage
Choreographer: Warren Carlyle
Song: “Body Language” by Queen
Performance: I thought the routine was really great. It was sleak and chic. I love Moises tapping with Gaby, I loved when they dance in unison with each other. It was just an overall slick routine. My Grade: A

Who: Team Street
Choreographer: NappyTabs
Song: “Ready Or Not Here I Come” by District 78 feat. Cheesa
Performance: SO…okay. It’s a cool routine. But I can’t help be distracted by Asaf. He’s so off. The girls are killing it. They are tight they are put together.  Everyone is hitting it hard. Virgil is so freakin’ adorable I can’t help but love him. But come on Nappy Tabs, don’t think I didn’t notice how Virgil and Burim disappeared for the last 45 seconds of that routine, and then all Asaf did was lift up Virgil. At least Burim did some sweet B-Boy moves. My Grade: B

RANDOM THOUGHTS

• Love Cat doing the Chris Pratt for the dancers.
• Asaf is such a personality. I feel bad they are all giving him a hard time.
• Cat says something about Asaf that I didn’t get, but before she said it she let out this huge sigh of relief. I feel like he is a WILD card for everyone. He’s that kid that no one knows what he will do or say or how he will act. This will be an interesting show.
• Choreographer Brian Friedman was on SYTYCD the earlier years wasn’t he? Or am I crazy? He was a judge right?
• Travis has total Stage Mom expressions when he over sees the dancers rehearsals: furrowed brow, intensely watching the feet.
• Paula makes a comment to Darion and Jim saying I hope their costuming gets better and Jim does this little covering of his legs that is super adorable.
• Quote of the Day — Cat: “Everyone likes a little nice with their nasty.”
• I don’t understand why the judges didn’t like Edson and Kate’s performance. I liked it. Maybe their chemistry wasn’t hot hot hot, but I thought they did a great job and Nigel is just crazy. Travis agrees with me and thought they were amazing. If Travis agrees with me, then we both must be right.
• Nigel tells Jason they are running over and have to cut something. I don’t think we were supposed to hear that. Ruh Roh.
• Napoleon is a terrible terrible…actor.
• Asaf is causing drama…like usual. Its weird thought because I want him to do good. I want him to prove to everyone his crappy attitude off sets his abilities…Don’t think it’s going to happen though…
• Okay, seriously, isn’t “Ready or Not” by the Fugees? What’s up with this cover?

FINAL THOUGHTS
Although Jessica kind of disappeared this episode, but my favorites are still my favorites. I still love Jaja, Virgil, Gaby and Jim. I think Asaf and Burim will be in danger with Asaf going home. Lily, Ariana, Hailee, and Derek might be in danger too, only because I feel like I didn’t really get a sense of who they were. Next week we lose two dancers and get a bonus episode. Until then my friends!

Movie Reviews: Inside Out & Max

INSIDE OUT

Directed By: Pete Docter
Starring: Amy Poehler, Mindy Kaling, Phyllis Smith, Bill Hader, Lewis Black, Richard Kind, Katlin Dias, Diane Lane, Kyle Maclachlan

Inside Out is the kind of movie that you only dream about creating. It’s the stuff that you think about and dream about and imagine even if you can’t figure out how to put it into words or describe it to anyone else. It is the inside story about the emotions inside a person and how they effect and control their day to day life…inside.

Inside Out is the epitome of creativity. That being said, I wanted MORE.  The movie was beautiful, funny, and emotional, yes, but I just wished the emotional parts of the movie hit with even more of a punch. The movie was missing something. I wanted that feeling I felt when Carl lost his wife in Up, or when Andy played with his toys for one last time in Toy Story. I wanted to care about everyone just as much as I cared about Nemo finding his father, Mr. Incredible saving his family, or Wall-e saving Eva.

Inside Out was a great movie and I was blown away by its creativity. But it’s not a movie I would choose to see again and again and again.

Rating: 7/10 Stars

---

MAX

Directed By: Boaz Yakin
Starring: Josh Wiggins, Thomas Haden Church, Jay Hernandez, Lauren Graham, Luke Kleintank, Robbie Amell

As tear-jerky as Max was, it is depressing to say I wish it contained more tear inducing moments. For a movie about a war dog who’s suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome after his owner is killed in war there were less heart felt moments and more unbelievable moments to amp up the drama. I love the part of the story dealing with the psychological ramnifications war can have on a dog. And I enjoyed watching Max and Justin bond especially over the loss of his brother. However, the B-story felt forced and way over the top. I just couldn’t get invested in the whole wasn’t completely terrible I was much gun smuggling/trading storyline that ending in a kidnapping/gun/dog fight. It was just all too much. Talk about drama, I want tears!

Rating: 4/10 stars

Movie Review: Jurassic World

When I first saw the original Jurassic Park, I remember being overcome with this magical feeling. What I was watching was so freakin’ cool. It didn’t need glitz, it didn’t need glamour; all it needed was its massive, majestic and beautiful stars – the dinosaurs. And to this day, every time Grant sees those dinosaurs for the first time, I still get that tingly feeling, that OMG feeling.

JURASSIC WORLD
Directed By: Colin Trevorrow
Starring: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Vincent D’Onofrio, Judy Greer, Omar Sky, Ty Simpkins, Nick Robinson, Jake M. Johnson

Jurassic World was supposed to be the movie that brought back those nostalgic feelings – that returned the franchisee back to a magical time where Lost World and Jurassic Park 3 didn’t exist. And while this movie was an improvement, it could have and should have been much better.

WHAT IT GOT RIGHT.

The Theme Park: Jurassic World was fully thought out down to the Margaritaville and Pandora that exist in every Caribbean port. I couldn’t help thinking that even without the dinosaurs this would be a place I’d really want to visi. I’d love to canoe down a river as stegosaurus’ graze nearby or ride a baby triceratops even though I’m 30 years old. It just looked like a fun place to be, no gimmicks necessary. Then again I’ve always been a suckers for zoos and aquariums.

WHAT IT GOT WRONG: Basically everything else.

The Magic: There was no magic! Or pretty much none. What happened to those long panning shots where we can admire the dinosaurs? Or the wide-eyed awe of young children as they view their favorite dinosaur. Instead we got quick shots of dinosaurs running and bored children being bratty. I know that was the point, that people were becoming bored with the dinosaurs wanting something bigger and better, but I just wanted the camera to spend more than 3 seconds on a dinosaur at any given point. (And I don’t know about you, but I’ve seen elephants many times and each time I do I look at them with wonder and awe and feel like a child every time.) But this lack of magic could be forgiven if I could care about…

The Characters: They were terrible and under developed. All of them. Chris Pratt was the most developed but what about his backstory? How did he become a velociraptor trainer? How is he still alive? Are there other places that have dinosaurs that taught him how to be a trainer? Does he have a family? Why does he live in a rinky dink trailer? And HE was the only character in the movie that really felt like he belonged there. Dallas Bryce Howard started off as an unpleasant, workaholic who had no time for family or friends or pleasantries by the end of the movie she kind of turned into a badass. Only no one acknowledged it, or cared, not as long as Pratt was on screen gently stroking his raptor (the dirtiness of that statement is just a happy coincidence). Then you have minor characters that serve no purpose but to further the story, a villain who is just plain stupid and two kids one of who is so bratty and annoying you don’t really care if he gets eaten by the dinosaur or not. And finally, how do you cast someone like Judy Greer and not use her? Bringing the kids parents and sister to one of our main characters along could have would have given the movie an actual opportunity to have a story. But instead she and her husband and their possible divorce was just another point that disappeared into…

The (Practically Non-Existent) Plot: There was no plot, no story, nothing to care about, just a dinosaur rampaging on people and things we don’t really care about. Except for those baby triceratops, that was sad. I want story, I want people to care about, I want a plot to care about. As big of a star power Chris Pratt is, he can’t and shouldn’t have to carry a movie like this all by himself.

Overall, while the movie was entertaining, the special effects and CGI fantastic, and the dinosaurs are always a thing to Marvel at, but this reboot of the franchise would really help itself out by getting a plot and people we care about, just as long as it includes Chris Pratt.

Rating: 6.5/10 Stars

So You Think You Can Dance Season 12: Vegas Callbacks Part 2

Part 2 of Vegas week is here and at the end of the night we will learn who makes it into the Top 20. The judges will pick 10 dancers to join Twitch’s Team Street, and 10 dancers to join Travis’ team. I have my favorites and I’m sure you do too. Here’s hoping at least some of my favorites make it to the show. (Note: As always I recap the shows in “real time” according to the show.)

So You Think You Can Dance: Season 12

Vegas Week Part 2

The episode starts off with breaking up the teams into groups. I have a love/hate relationship with this event the show does: making the groups work all night to different types of music to create a routine. Yes it makes for some great drama and some great routines, but sometimes the routines are cringe worthy. Plus I watch the show to see dancing, not listen to the dancers argue.

Luckily this isn’t your typical reality show and the drama doesn’t last long.

Thoughts while watching the group routines and final choreographed routines:

• The first routine is super adorable, and it has my one of my favorite of the dancers Jessica…so that doesn’t make me biased at all.
• Dude if you’re two hours late for a group rehearsal you should be RUNNING into that rehearsal room. I already don’t like that Thomas just sauntered in like it was no big deal.
• I like how Derulo was all like “you guys are great” and Paula was like “you guys did a good job” but Travis and Nigel kept it real with saying they weren’t together (which they weren’t) and it could have been better (which it could have).
• I’m not a dancer…nor should I be…but team “Puts Black Duct Tape Over Their Mouth” had great music, great out fits, and a great look, and they were just a MESS.
• Oh man, Paula just used the word “eye sore” to describe someone’s dancing. YIKES.
• That’s how you dance to that song! à referring to Bloodline dancing to “O Fortuna.” The song that Team Black Duct Tape botched.
• Hi Sonya!
• Can a Canadian SYTYCD winner compete on the American version? I mean that just doesn’t seem fair.
• That sweet girl Antinina fought so hard. I feel like they should have let her dance for her life.
• It’s weird that there’s a tapper in Street and Stage.
• My girl Jessica is killin it. (Why do people say “my girl” she’s not really “my girl”. I don’t know her personally)
• Burmin “B1” is HOT. I’m glad his abs…HE… HE is staying.
• Asaf Goren is SO weird. And off putting. But for some reason you can’t help but root for him. Plus he’s a great dancer and he has such personality. He makes it through but it ends on a weird weird note. Sometimes things get lost in translation, I guess.

The Top 20 Revealed

Team Stage

• Edson Juarez
• Derek Piquette
• Alexa Meyer
• Moises Parra
• Kate Harpootlian
• Marissa Milele
• Hailee Payne
• Gaby Diaz
• Jim Nowakowski
• Darion Flores

My Thoughts:
I’m so happy my favorites Jim and Gaby made it. I’m definitely rooting for them, but aside from these two I don’t really know much about the other dancers. I’m looking forward to getting to know them.

Team Street

• Yorelis Apolinario
• Liliana Frias
• Virgil Gadson
• Eddie ‘Neptune’ Eskridge
• Megan ‘Megz’ Alfonso
• Burmin ‘B1’ Jusufi
• Alain ‘Hurricane’ Lauture
• Jessica Rabone
• Ariana Crowder
• Ja Ja Vancova

My Thoughts
My faves made it through, Ja Ja, Jessica, Burmin, and Virgil. I’m excited about the other dancers too. We definitely got to know the Street side better than the Stage side. As for the ones who didn’t make it, I have to say I’m glad Asaf didn’t make it, he’s just too much drama. And ss much as I love Standin’ O, I’m not surprised she didn’t make the cut. But I love what she does. Mary Poppins vs Ja Ja was a tough call as Mary Poppins was growing on me. But I’m always biased to Ja Ja because she has such personality. Thought it frightens me when she looks all dolled up. Twitch said it himself “Don’t let it fool you, she mean.” So glad she’s in, I’ll definitely be rooting for her to win it all.

Final Thoughts:
Overall I’m so glad this show is back, but at the very end Cat makes the announcement that one of the dancers had to back out due to injury. This scares me. But we’ll have to find out next week when the competition begins. Are you ready? I know I am!

So You Think You Can Dance Season 12: Vegas Callbacks No. 1

Spring has sprung and summer is here. That means bathing suits, beach reading, fruity drinks and So You Think You Can Dance!

The show is back and so are my reviews! Before I start with my thoughts on the highly anticipated Vegas Week, let’s talk about the two BIG changes this year.

1) Stage vs. Street – While I’m still unclear as to how this is truly going to work, I love the fact that they separating the two categories. This will truly allow everyone to shine. And I’m excited to watch the street performers battle while the best of the stage dancers get to dance with their equals. And I hope this means Yaya will make it to the Top 20. She is definitely one of my faves! Speaking of faves, I love we will see more Twitch and more Travis Wall.

2) New Judges – Paula over Mary Murphy and Jason Derulo? Come on! I understand Paula herself is a dancer but I’m gonna get tired real fast of her same old nice comments. I like it when the judges are more critical. And that goes the same for Derulo. At first I thought man, this is going to be a disaster but then he spoke and it was pretty helpful and profound, but then he used the same old tricks and vocabulary for every dancer. This does not bode well for the show.

So You Think You Can Dance: Season 12
Vegas Call Backs No. 1

• Spending the time with the married couple was not necessary. More dancing less drama!
• Love Twitch saying Team Street might be all female. There are so many outstanding street dancers that I’m super excited about!
• I don’t understand why Jacey (stage) was cut. The girl who nearly lost her leg in a car accident. I thought she did a great job.
• Jessica by far is my favorite street dancer. (Aside from Ya Ya – where is she?)
• There she is, she made it through the first round, YAY!!
• I’m really rooting for Steven the nerdy animator who’s parents have never seen him dance. His dance for his life solo wasn’t as good as his audition solo though. I’m really sad he doesn’t make it through. I feel like the judges just didn’t like him not that he was bad.

Random thoughts

• I like it when the judges and choreographers push the dancers. They don’t just let them slide by or get through at least not with out a fight. It’s not an easy process.
• However, sometimes I also feel like Vegas Week is just a big popularity contest. Who the judges know and like better rather than based on talent. Not to say good/great/incredible dancers make it through, but sometimes I feel like the kids that are eccentric or weird are getting rejected by the “popular kids”.
• Did Ya Ya make it through the 2nd round? My DVR cut out for a brief moment. Hopefully she did!
• I love me some Twitch, but he’s definitely playing favorites.

Final Thoughts
That’s all for this week! See ya next week for Part 2 of Vegas Week!