hip hop's legacy goes contemporary

More top performances and two more goodbyes on So You Think You Can Dance.

Risking elimination last week due to injury, Noelle came back to dance with her partner Russell. And this week they have a Hip Hop routine from newest choreographer, Jamal Sims. Well, Russell certainly lucked out this week with Hip Hop and he looked pretty comfortable up there, even in his preppy tennis outfit! Noelle, on the other hand, was a little weak. She did respectable in some part but some parts were really awful.

Power couple Ashleigh & Jakob had a Viennese Waltz from Tony Meredith & Melanie Lepatin. Aww, it was so sweet. It totally was like a couple’s first wedding dance. It was so sweet and innocent but passionate. And it really seemed like it was just a dance for them and no one else. The judges had a few criticisms here and there but I personally just loved it!

Bianca & Victor were lucky enough to get a Tyce Diorio Broadway number. Hmm, I think the characters and choreography overpowered them this week. They did so well last week and I think it was lost a little bit this week. I started to like Victor more during the end but I think Bianca was a little too confident throughout the whole thing and didn’t live up to it all.

PYT’s Mollee & Nathan had a Bollywood routine next and I wonder if my theory from last season about every Bollywood routine being good will ring true here. Yes, still works! But I think they danced it really well and the choreography was really exciting. Love them and their dancing.

Ugh, my least favorite guy on the show, Phillip, had the Samba with his partner, Channing. And Tony & Melanie did not hold back on the choreography one bit! I think that Channing did a lot better than Phillip did – she just seemed more comfortable with it all. And Mary called Phillip out on not being a good partner for Channing and I’m glad someone did it!

And now my least favorite couple, Karen & Kevin, got a NappyTabs Hip Hop routine. This is in Kevin’s comfort zone so I hope that its good but I just really don’t like Karen. Wow, this was probably the dirtiest routine I have seen from Tabitha & Napolean! They did really well, as much as I hate to admit it. I started to like Kevin more here but miss Karen is still going to be my Janette from last season.

Uh oh, Kathryn & Legacy pulled a Contemporary routine from Stacey Tookey. I really hope that Legacy can handle this because I just love him. Well, I think he succeeded! It was just beautiful and well danced by both of them! Okay, it’s official. They are definitely my favorite couple this season!

New couple Pauline & Peter were so lucky that they got a Wade Robson Jazz routine! I don’t know if it’s possible to fail while dancing a Wade Robson number. I think not. It was really clever and sharp and interesting. I think Peter had more personality with the routine and found the little nuances of the routine while Pauline was still safe with it.

Ellenore & Ryan were the last couple of the night and they finished things off with a Tango from Miriam & Leonardo. I am hoping that I can like Ellenore after her brash arrogange last week. Oh, but I felt so bad for her! Her dress got caught in her shoe! But she kept it going and didn’t let it stop her. It was a good routine and well danced. I am beginning to forgive Ellenore for last week and I will give them another chance.

Now the judges need to choose the bottom two guys and two girls because there is no results show this week due to the World Series. And they were Noelle, Bianca, Victor, and Phillip. Can’t say I’m surprised by any of the choices.

Well, Noelle definitely left it all on the table during her table. That is what a Bottom 4 solo should be! Ugh, and Victor’s solo was so dynamic and powerful. I just loved it! Bianca did really well with her solo and showed a lot of variety and humor in her solo. However, not doing it for me at all was Phillip. Maybe my wish of sending home my least favorite guy will come true!

Oh my goodness I am so shocked that the judges sent Bianca home. I definitely think that Noelle did well in her solo but I thought the judges would have preferred Bianca. Not so shocking is the fact that the judges sent home Phillip!! Hooray for that, at least!

new pairs, new dances, new moves

So You Think You Can Dance is doing things a little diferent this season.

First, there was a performance show Monday night to "get to know the contestants" better and see who got paired with who. My DVR somehow missed that and I'm kinda glad for it. That just means that I will be surprised tonight by the pairings!

Also, because of the MLB World Series, the first two weeks mean no results shows and voting for your favorites. I like this new sped up process! So, after the Top 20 perform tonight, two dancers will be going home.

Hmm, this just seems so weird to be watching this in October and not July. And now Adam Shankman is a permanent judge which means some longwinded critiques for sure!

Now, onto the first pairing...Channing & Phillip. Ugh, I hate Phillip. He seems worse than Brandon from last season in terms of arrogance. I hate looking at his face!! Choreography Jason Gilkison had his work cut out for him by teaching this pair the Jive. There was just no chemistry with this pair, though I think Channing did well with it and looked like a cute little bird. Okay...next!

Ashleigh & Jakob came next with a sultry Broadway rutine. I know that Ashleigh always fell into her husband Ryan's shadow but I've always liked her! And thye got to work with Tyce Diorio! This definitely was one of Tyce's more toned down danced but I loved it! This is a power couple for sure.

The next couple is Ariana & Peter. She seems a little boring and blah while Peter is an unconventional tapper. Ooh, but they have a Hip Hop routine by NappyTabs! Hmm, well, in my opinion, he did a lot better but she was not so convincing. I think Ariana is completely forgettable but Peter has some chance at going much farther.

Noelle & Russell were the next couple, but complications arose for them from the beginning. Noelle injured herself this week so she can't compete. And they had a Foxtrot by Tony Meredith to tackle. So, in Noelle's place, Tony's partner, Melanie, danced with Russell. I think it would only be fair to send Noelle home tonight due to her injury. Russell, on the other hand, was very surprising in this dance and did quite well.

Following them was Bianca & Victor. Now, she is great, but Victor is a little unknown in this competition so far. Oh, gosh, but they have a Travis Wall Contemporary piece!! Oh, this better be good and live up to Travis's genius. Ah, it was so good!!! Everything that a Travis Wall piece should be.

Hmm, unknown couple Karen & Kevin had a Cha Cha with Tony Meredith this week. She seems like an over-the-top ballroom diva and Kevin is a model who dances. BUT they danced to Push It from the Glee cast!! Honestly, I think the Glee cast could have danced this better than this pair and sang it at the same time! Not impressed at all. Ugh, and she was on the Hot Tamale Train. Come on, Mary! Do not let her be this season's Janette.

Ellenore & Ryan had a Contemporary routine from Sonya! Ugh, I like Ellenore until she started getting all cocky on us. You should watch your words, miss, and not seems so much like an expert on dance already. It was a good routine, though. Great, in fact. I just wish it hadn't been ruined for me by stupid Ellenore's arrogance.

The newest couple, Pauline & Brandon, took on a Smooth Waltz from Jason Gilkison. Now, I say newest couple because Brandon just recently joined the Top 20 after front runner Billy Bell had to back out due to poor health. And Pauline, if you remember, didn't even perofmr the last two rounds in Vegas week due to an injured ankle. So, there is a lot going against this couple. Well, they certainly had chemistry and it was super cute to watch. But, it wasn't completely up to par for the judges.

Kathryn & Legacy went primal with a Dave Scott Hip Hop routine. Oh, this was fantastic! So creative with the caveman theme and so well danced by the pair of them. This is probably my favorite couple of the season so far!! I have always loved Legacy and now I love him even more. And Kathryn really surprised me. Love it!!!

Last for the night was my fave boy ever, Nathan, and his partner, the sweetly annoying Mollee. And they had the dreaded Disco from Doriana Sanchez. Gosh, it was so fast and just jammed with tricks and lifts. I don't know how they did it! And they have to be the youngest pairing this season so for them to do a Disco seemed strange. But it was awesome! They may be my second favorite couple.

Now the judges needed to nominate two guys and two girls to dance for their lives. They called out Ariana, Brandon, Pauline, and Russell. Not too surprised by any of these choices and I really hope that Ariana goes home. She's a bore-fest! And I want Brandon to get another chance in this competition.

No surprise, Ariana's solo was boring and predictable. Russell killed it in traditional Krumping style. Loved it! Pauline didn't wow in her solo and I feel like she is way better than that. Oh, I just loved Brandon's solo! I want him to stay!

Hmm, I was right! Miss Boring, Ariana, was sent home. I can't belive that she would have made it to the Top 20 over Ashleigh! Ah, bummer. Brandon got sent home but I thought that Nigel's quest to allow him to come back next season was very fair and nice.

your top 20 dancers are...

So You Think You Can Dance goes from 152 dance to the Top 20.

Ooh, the show has a new intro. I like that you can recognize some of the past dancers like Phillip, Jeanine, and Kherrington (maybe?) but not sure if I like the look of it.

After some tough days in Vegas, the remaining 38 dancers waited backstage to find out if they would make it to the Top 20. And deciding their fate was Mary Murphy, Nigel Lithgoe, Adam Shankman, Debbie Allen, Mia Michaels, and Tyce Diorio.

My early favorite, Nathan, found out his fate first and I just know that he's going to make it. He's just too fantastic not to make it! And, of course, he did! Aww, sweet little Georgia peach, Kathryn McCormack, kept crying and her voice just got higher and higher as she got more emotional. And it just kept going when she made it into the Top 20. The show met a first this season by putting a Krumper through to the Top 20! And for another first, Bianca Revels became the first tapper to ever appear in the Top 20. In fact, two other tappers joined her! B-Boy legend, Legacy, made it to the Top 20, also, and I'm so happy for him.

The final men's space came down between two ballroom dancers. That last space went to Ryan, who had to see if his wife would take the final woman's space. And that final woman's spot also came down to two ballroom dancers. Surprisingly, Ashleigh also made it to the Top 20 after contemporary dancer Paula Van Oppen turned down the offer because she was always contractually obligated for a movie. Lame.

Tune in next week for the first performances of the Top 20!

what happens in vegas, well...

Vegas Week continues on So You Think You Can Dance!

Last season’s new choreography, Laurieann Gibson, took the remaining 77 dancers through a Jazz Routine. Hmm, it looks like this was a really tough round with a lot of early favorites being cut. And a lot of people looked really bad, too, so it’s no wonder they were cut!

After making it past most of the choreography rounds, the remaining 69 dancers were split into groups and were asked to create a routine on their own. This is always the most volatile round were some people completely lose it and some really shine.

Overall, it seems like most groups performed well which is quite rare for this show! Even the group with Molly Gray and her injured ankle made it through, though just barely.

Next up was the most intimidating round of choreography…Contemporary with Mia Michaels!! As a viewer, this is perhaps my favorite round because I love Mia so much and I also like to see Mia freak out of people! Oh, B-Boy master Legacy is the last hip hop dancer to take the stage in Mia’s choreography and I am hoping so much that he makes it. And he did!! Yay!

For the final round of choreography, the dancers had perhaps the second toughest choreographer on the show – Tyce Diorio. And yes, that means they were doing Broadway! I’m a little bummed that the girls’ routine seems to be the same as last years’ West Side Story theme. But, the routine is still amazing and really showed if people can perform and dance at the same time. Some people didn’t live up to the choreography and some didn’t live up to the performance.

That leaves us now with solos from the remaining dancers and determining the Top 20! During Billy Bell’s solo, Adam Shankman was just losing it but the beauty and passion and strength of it all!

Oh no!! I thought that we were going to find out the Top 20 tonight!! Oh, bummer. Well, till next week!

let's go to vegas!

We’re heading to Vegas with So You Think You Can Dance but first we will make a pit stop in Utah!

Yay, Mia Michaels is back to help judge the last round of auditions in Salt Lake City.

Wow! The show started off with a bang from Bryan Boyer who performed a crazy good b-boy routine. But oh no, someone hoping for a change of luck did not get it. Tristy Mirci was in 25 car accidents in the span of 3 years and her dancing was really just basic and it was almost more sad to watch this than the people who are clearly bad.

Uh, a “burlesque” dancer decided to do a strip tease on the stage! And this is perhaps a little mean of me to say, but she looked a little manish! Haha, and nobody in the audience clapped at all!

Iveta, a ballroom dancer, got Mary crying at her audition piece.

Hmmm, another horrible and crazy audition was performed by a guy named Pascal. I don’t even know how to begin to describe what he was doing on the stage! It wasn’t even dance but I don’t know what it was!

Turns out, Utah has a lot of ballroom talent to show off. Lee & Josh really lit the stage on fire but she lost a toenail in the process! Ugh, it was awful to see.

Yay, we are finally off to Vegas!!! Uh, one of my favorite auditions from last season belonged to Nathan Trasoras. So why wasn’t he in the Top 20? Because he wasn’t old enough. But he is old enough now and just as fantastic…even more so! Oh, I loved it to pieces! Ooh, and Eleanor Scott gave another fantastic solo that was so unique and fun!

The solos left 41 people cut and 111 still in the competition to learn some NappyTabs Hip Hop!! Early faves made it through the first round of choreography, but we’ll see if they make it through a Louis Van Amstel Cha Cha! Oh, but one Billy Bell suffered the first injury when his partner hit his nose with her elbow and he started gushing blood! Ugh.

Oh, I am so sad and heartbroken! Ryan Kasprzak got sent home after the ballroom! I can’t say I’m surprised because he didn’t perform very well but I just don’t know how he did so well last season but not here! Ugh, so sad.

dancing in the dirty south

Now time for two more rounds of auditions on So You Think You Can Dance!

The first city was Atlanta and sitting in with Nigel and Mary was Lil’ C!!

Billy Bell went first and he had only been dancing for 5 years! I don’t think you could tell at all because he was really good. At least, I thought so. The judges thought so, too, and he went straight to Vegas.

Turns out Atlanta has a lot of good dancers but none of them are performers! How frustrating. But some who did have performance ability was a guy named Travis who was on The Wade Robson Project. I remember watching that show and thinking he was not so bad but now I feel greatly ashamed by that thought.

Things started looking up after that with some really beautiful and amazing performances. And finishing off the night was Anthony and Antwain Hart, twins who have auditioned before. After choreography, only Anthony made it to Vegas, which is really sad because I think Antwain was the better performer but he couldn’t pick up the choreography.

Matthew “Boogie Links” Pollard started off Day Two, and it almost seemed like he was more interested in picking up ladies than perfecting his dancing. Jessica Jensen took the stage next and she only had one hand due to a rare form a cancer she had a year and a half ago. She’s clearly a good dancer and I wonder how her disability would affect any choreography for her.

Jonathan Bryant thought his solo was dope and that his personality was just so alive that he would be a standout. He may have the personality but he doesn’t have the dance ability. And his “personality” is really just masked arrogance! Needless to say, he didn’t make it to choreography or Vegas.

Moving a bit west, the auditions made their way to New Orleans and the guest judges on this leg were Adam Shankman and Lil’ C.

Shelby “Skips” Skiper took the stage first and showed off the New Orleans Bounce. It was definitely interesting to watch and something completely new. Naturally, Lil’ C was loving it. He made it straight to Vegas but I don’t know how well he will do with other types of choreography. And things seemed to be on a roll for New Orleans.

Ugh, “life of the party” Eric Le Blanc was actually pretty entertaining in his solo. But his energy, manufactured by 6 energy drinks a day, is clearly just a mask for something else. Ugh, it’s too much and I need him to get off the stage right now.

I gotta say that I like how this year’s choreography round was ballroom based. Because I feel like this is the hardest style for other dancers to master and it’s a good way to tell how they might do in Vegas week.

Kimalee Piedad introduced a new style of ballroom to the show by performing Theatre Arts. It’s basically like Ice Dancing minus the ice and the skates. It was really beautiful and showed her strength incredibly. She went straight to Vegas and I think she could be a really strong contender.

boston can dance

So You Think You Can Dance hit the streets of Boston for the first time.

Yay, Tyce Diorio is joining Mary and Nigel for judging!

Teddy Todholm took the stage first and it was such a cute performance. It was so unique and you get a feeling that it was completely him to the core. AND he performed to the same song that Jeanine & Jason danced to for Travis Wall’s piece! He’s such an awkward little kid and he’s making his way to Vegas.

Jean Lloret started a little slow in the beginning but slowly got Mary screaming for his crazy B-boy skills. Without even listening to him or interviewing him, he was sent straight to Vegas. And after a bunch of boys proved their worth, Channing Cooke made it to choreography and started off some momentum for the girls.

After a married ballroom couple made it straight to Vegas, creeper Gene Bersten hoped he could do the same with a solo Latin ballroom performance. He’s clearly talented and knows what he is doing, but he is trying too hard. And he is just way too conceited.

At this point, I am ready for Vegas week already!! Hurry up!

round two of auditions

For the first time, So You Think You Can Dance heads to Phoenix for auditions.

Mia Michaels joined the judging panel for rounds of auditions. Gosh, do I love Mia! :)

The first “pair” of auditions was Shorty and Biggie and boy was it just silly and a waste of time. Yes, they were kind of entertaining but it wasn’t anything serious for the show. On the other hand, Sasha Mallory came next and stole Nigel’s heart.

An extremely touching story was that of Allison Becker. She was diagnosed with spinal meningitis and is deaf, but she still dances. And she’s not bad, either. She is kind of quirky and modern in her style but she can definitely perform. Her technique is not the most advanced but they all put her through to choreography. I hope she makes it!! And she did, hooray!

Um, once again we had another same sex dancing pair. I hope they are better than last seasons’ auditionees. I still don’t really understand how it works with leading and following. They are definitely better than last year and it was actually pretty beautiful.

Oh gosh, this guy Jarvis is crazy! He seems pretty genuine in how excited he is and he’s not the worst dancer ever but he’s just crazy! And his crazy antics led to more crazy auditions, one after another after another.

Thankfully, Kelsey White came along to break up the craziness but it still wasn’t good enough to make go straight to Vegas.

Jonathan “Legacy” Perez took the stage next and he is apparently a b-boy legend. After seeing only just a few seconds of his audition I would have to agree with that! He ended up making it to Vegas and it will be interesting to see what else he can do choreography-wise.

See you next week for Boston!

it's like tap heaven

Can you believe it’s time for So You Think You Can Dance?!

Since we’re just in the audition stages, there won’t be too much to comment on, but hopefully we’ll see some really good talents. The first audition city was Los Angeles. The judges for this leg of the tour are Nigel, Mary, and Adam Shankman.

Okay, first up was Cole Clemens and the judges all though that he was doing his piece without music but he was really just doing like a performance art piece that included some spoken word. The bad thing is that he looks like he could be a good dancer but his audition was just way too bizarre!

Mollee Gray took the stage next and she is just a cute wholesome girl from Utah who also happened to be principal dancer in High School Musical 1, 2, & 3. And she certainly was good. Good enough to make it to Vegas, in fact!

Aahhh, so excited! Ryan Kasprzak was back!! Love him soooo much and I surely hope he makes it to the Top 20 this year. He is such an amazing tap dancer and a tapper has never made it to the Top 20. Bianca Robles, who also narrowly missed on the Top 20 last season, “battled” Ryan on the stage and it was fantastic! Naturally, they both made it to Vegas!

Christopher Aguilar chose to perform to a Chicago medley and it wasn’t good. It was fun to watch but not for the right reasons. And he definitely wasn’t the only one to be an embarrassment on the stage.

So, far it’s looking to be a good season!

America's Favorite Dancer Is...

Welcome back to Get Real! Let's just get to it...

Oh gosh, it’s here! The final results of So You Think You Can Dance! Eek, I am shuddering in excitement. I can’t wait to see the Top 20 perform again all together as well as see some of the favorite routines from the season.

First off, Cat Deely looks more beautiful than ever on this episode! Her dress is fantastic. She looks very elegant but fun at the same time. Perfect ensemble, Cat, kudos to you!

The opening dance piece was a reprise of the Brand New Day piece from The Wiz but this time it featured all of the Top 20 dancers. It sure was nice to see some of those old faces.

For the final time, the judges table featured Lil C, Mia Michaels, Tyce Diorio, Debbie Allen, Adam Shankman, Mary Murphy, and Nigel Lythgoe.

Adam Shankman’s favorite routine was Jeanine & Phillip’s Hip Hop routine from master choreographers NappyTabs! Janette & Brandon’s Argentine Tango was next as Nigel’s favorite routine. I knew this would be in there as someone’s favorite because it really was a fantastic routine. Debbie Allen’s favorite routine was Louis Van Amstel’s Waltz performed by Asuka & Vitolio. The next piece featured Jeanine & Jason dancing Travis Wall’s Contemporary piece. Oh, so lovely and one of my favorite pieces ever. Surprisingly, Mia’s favorite piece was Max & Kayla’s episode one Samba from Louis Van Amstel. Though, everything Mia choreographs is fantastic and I doubt that she can really choose one of her own pieces as her favorite.

We then got a sneak peak of the new movie Fame featuring last season’s Kherrington. Debbie got to choose another favorite routine and she chose the group routine Calle Ocho from Dmitri and NappyTabs.

The winner from So You Think You Can Dance Australia performed a solo piece from Sonya next. And, she was a ballerina! Oh, if only Melissa could have been there in the Top 4 to also prove how good ballerina’s can be. Okay, and I feel like I was watching Sonya herself on stage because this girl was like the identical dance twin of Sonya!

Lil C chose his favorite routine next and he went with Jai Ho featuring Caitlin & Jason!

Oh gosh, now time for the Top 4 and seeing who might be cut. The dancer ending up in 4th place was Kayla. I am not surprised by this and I thought it would have been either her or Evan.

Adam chose another favorite routine and it was Randi & Evan’s “butt” dance from Mia Michaels. Mary’s next pick was the Paso Doble with Jeanine & Brandon. Wow, that’s 3 routines from Louis Van Amstel. Clearly, he is a keeper as a choreographer.

Evan joined Jeanine and Brandon back on stage and that could only mean more results. So, who would be leaving the Top3 now? The 3rd place dancer was Evan. I am not surprised but I do so love him. He is one of my favoritest contests on this show ever. He is like my Mark from last season.

Nigel’s next favorite routine had Kayla & Kūpono reliving their addiction routine from Mia Michaels. This piece was so good and really touching and painful. But so classic Mia that I love it. Tyce’s favorite routine was the Disco routine from Janette & Brandon which admittedly was the best Disco routine the show has ever seen. The final judge’s favorite piece was Tyce’s beautiful piece dedicated to Breast Cancer Awareness danced so perfectly by Melissa & Ade. It was so touching and incredibly emotional the second time around as well.

We got another special surprise from the Top 8 as they performed another Mia Michaels piece to One from A Chorus Line. PLUS at the very end all of the featured judges, aside from Lil C, showed up for a quick little dance and it was super cute.

Okay, the moment is here everyone. It’s now time to find out who is the winner of So You Think You Can Dance. Will it be Brandon or Jeanine? Well, it's not Brandon.

Which means, America's favorite dancer is...Jeanine! Hooray!! Now I can reveal that Jeanine is who I voted for last night. I can't believe the season is already over. Well, at least I only have to wait another month for Season 6!

Next up on Get Real, we have a trio of shows inlcuding Hell's Kitchen, More to Love, and BB11. Stay tuned :)

The Top 4 Battle It Out!

Welcome back to Get Real! Ok, I’m going a bit out of order here with my shows but I just couldn’t wait to watch So You Think You Can Dance! For now, everything else is on hold.

It’s the Final 4 on So You Think You Can Dance which means the final performances! And they are performing in the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, which is a new thing! So, there are tons of people there and the stage is just giant.

Joining the judges for this ever important performance night is Adam Shankman. Hopefully, this means that all of the fantastic choreographers will be displaying their work for us to see!

Wow, there were 3,000 people in the audience! That’s insane. I can’t believe that this many people showed up to see this finale. But this is so incredible that this show and dancers have become so popular.

The final four dancers all teamed together to do a Wade Robson routine! And it’s about two football players hitting on two cheerleaders. Cute! I liked that Wade actually incorporated real cheer moves in there. Good job Wade :)

Ooh, and I can’t wait for Season Six this fall! Eek…now I don’t have to wait a whole year!

Now onto the first couple of the night and, surprisingly, these two have never performed together before! Jeanine & Evan were paired together in a Contemporary piece from Sonya. Ugh, I so love Sonya’s choreography. Hmm, I really like this pair together. They were really powerful together and they had a really good chemistry with each other.

Brandon performed his solo next. I so, so, so hope he doesn’t win. I’m just tired of him. I feel like he is the Adam Lambert of this season. Everyone has just been praising him and praising him from the beginning and while I admit there is talent I think there are people who are better and who have grown more.

Kayla & Brandon paired up next and they were given a Tyce Diorio Broadway number. I don’t know how this will be…I feel if Jeanine and Evan had this they would just knock it out of the park. I’m not sure if these two can do it justice. It started off pretty strong and I liked the 70’s vibe that was going on during the piece. But they started to lose synchronicity in the end.

Why does it seem like the judges figure that either of these two will win? Hello! There are two other dancers and I personally would prefer either Jeanine or Evan to win.

Speaking of Jeanine, she took the stage with her solo next. Wow, so fantastic. She completely knows what her strengths are and it was just perfection.

It was a battle of the boys when Evan & Brandon teamed up for a Pop/Jazz routine with Laurieann Gibson. It was cute seeing Evan be a tough guy. He actually pulled it off pretty well. Poor Evan is just always being compared to everyone else but he is so unique. I love him to pieces.

Next it was the girls’ turn. Jeanine & Kayla got a Contemporary routine from the one and only Mia Michaels! I have to admit that my eyes were drawn to Jeanine the entire time. The piece was just fantastic though and they both danced it so well. Another winner for Mia and another for Jeanine, in my book!

Evan’s solo was next and I was so excited for it. He has such great technique and he is so classic. Oh, he’s so cute and he’s incredibly unique. I know I say that all the time but it’s so true.

After just a short break, Evan joined Kayla for a Jive. Oh cute, it was a country themed dance! I thought it was pretty good. Oh, how sweet…the audience started chanting Evan’s name! Now, it definitely wasn’t the most dynamic routine of the night and I really don’t think people are going to want to vote for that as much as some of the other routines. But I thought it was really fun and didn’t disappoint.

The last solo of the evening belonged to Kayla. I was actually looking forward to this solo from Kayla but I was left a little underwhelmed. I don’t think it was her best solo and she has definitely done better. Now, I haven’t always been the biggest fan of Kayla’s, but I like her now and I wish that she had done better in her solo.

For the final performance of the evening, Jeanine & Brandon paired up for a Paso Doble with Louis Van Amstel. Oh, this is going to be good, I can tell. It was absolutely the best routine to end the night. It was powerful, dynamic, well danced, and well choreographed. They got the final ride on the Hot Tamale train and they certainly deserved it. It’s definitely going to be down to these two.

So, now it’s up to America. This is the only show that I will ever call in for but my votes are secret!

Next up on Get Real, we have the results show and we will find out is America's Favorite Dancer! Stay tuned :)

One Banana Eviction and Two Dancers Eliminated

Welcome back to Get Real! First up tonight is the Live (well, it was live when it aired!) Eviction on BB11 and the revealing of the Top 4 on So You Think You Can Dance.

Let’s start with BB11. Julie announced that the houseguests were no longer going to be part of their familiar high school clicks by the end of the night. Interesting to see how that will change things in the house.

Um, Lydia is psycho and her sneaking into Jesse’s room to watch him sleep is super creepy. That is not going to win over any points with anyone.

Casey was doing a pretty good job of lobbying votes to keep him in the house. I don’t know if it will end up working for him. I think Jordan is really cute and I don’t really want her to leave.

Speaking of Jordan, her family and Jeff’s family weighed in on their apparent showmance. Both families seemed to be in favor of the relationship and I agree. They seem really cute together.

So now it’s time for the eviction. Casey was very vocal in his speech and I don’t really think that it will help him any. Jeff was first to cast his vote and of course he wasn’t going to vote for Jordan. Ronnie and Casey followed suit and voted to evict Casey. Interestingly, Russell voted to evict Jordan. But Michele, Lydia, and Kevin all voted to evict Casey. With that, Casey was officially evicted from the house.

I am wondering why Russell changed his mind. He is going to look bad to the rest of the house. This could be interesting. I bet he is regretting his decision.

Before the new HOH Competition, the houseguests were told that they would no longer be in cliques. But they were also told that one of them would receive a mysterious special power in the game and that person would be determined by America. Julie then revealed to the audience that this new power would be the Coup D’Etat. Whoever holds the power of the Coup D’Etat would be allowed to replace one or both of the nominees just minutes before the Live Eviction Ceremony but they would only be able to use it once and it would have to be within the next two weeks. I wonder who America will choose!

And who would be the next HOH? Well, this is going to be something that lasts more than just one episode. Each houseguest, aside from Jesse, was sitting on a small seat and hanging onto a rope. The contraption holding them began spinning in a circle. If they fell, they would be eliminated. But the first five people to fall also received a “graduation gift” that could contain $5000 or something bad.

Looks like we will have to wait until Sunday for the results of this competition.

And now for the results of So You Think You Can Dance. Okay, this opening group number was a little frightening for me and could have easily been my nightmare. They danced to Send in the Clowns. And some of them looked really beautiful and the dancing was just exquisite. But creepy nonetheless and I hope it won’t give me any nightmares. Thanks, Tyce!

Oh oh, on this episode they are showing last season’s Emmy nominated dances, which means the return of Twitch, Katee, Chelsee, Joshua, Jessica, Will, and Mark!! Eek!

The Top 3 Girls were on the stage first to await the results. Cat told the girls that she would send one of the girls straight to the finale but that doesn’t mean that girl necessarily received the most votes. Interesting. So who was it? Jeanine! Yay! I’m so glad because she is my favorite dancer right now.

Jessica & Will danced their piece Silence next and it was so much more beautiful than I remembered it to be!

Then it was time for the guys to know of their fate. So which guy will join Jeanine in the finale? Brandon. I am not surprised but I do still hope that he doesn’t win.

The next Emmy nominated performance came from Mia Michaels and Twitch & Katee. Oh, I miss these two dancers! And this routine. Ugh, perfection. Then we were treated to Chelsee and Joshua’s tango from last season, choreographed by former contestant Dmitri. There definitely has not been a tango that good this season.

Solos from Melissa and Ade were next followed by a performance from Jabbawockeez from ABDC. I do love how the main dance shows on TV right now are highlighting and supporting each other.

Aah, NappyTabs’ best routine ever was next! Mark & Chelsee were reunited for Bleeding Love and I couldn’t be happier! I love this routine, I love the choreographers, I love Chelsee, and I totally love Mark!

Kayla and Evan completed their solos next. I thought Kayla’s solo was better tonight. In fact, so was Evan’s!

Ah, this is going to be so hard to see two of these dancers go home. Ok, fast forwarding through Sean Paul’s performance. Sorry! Now for the results and I’m so nervous. Kayla made it to the finale and I am not surprised. I love Melissa but I don’t think that enough people appreciated just how good she was. But I think all of the Top 6 dancers are too good and none of them should go. Oh wait…no, Brandon should go! Hehe. So now for the guys…Evan made it to the finals! Again, not surprised but I also love Ade.

Next up on Get Real, we will find out who wins the coveted HOH Competition on BB11. Stay tuned :)

The Finales are Coming! The Finales are Coming!

Welcome back to Get Real! We are getting closer to crowing winners in both Top Chef Masters and So You Think You Can Dance so let’s cut to the chase and get on with the show!

On Top Chef Masters, the 6 winners of each of the previous Elimination Challenges met to compete in the Champions Round. They were met with their first Quick Fire Challenge and they were told that they needed to work in teams. The teams broke down to Rick, Hubert, and Anita for the Salt Team and Michael, Suzanne, and Art on the Pepper Team. For the first task of shucking 15 oysters, Hubert and Susan went head-to-head. They finished right at the same time but then Hubert had to continue dicing 5 onions against Art. Art finished first, which allowed Michael to get a quick head start against Anita on chopping the chickens. It was a dead tie going into the end where Rick and Art had to separate 5 eggs and then whip it to the point that it would last for 5 seconds in the bowl when turned over.

Gosh, it was so cute to see how excited the chefs were during the challenge! They were just having so much fun and it was so different from normal Top Chef contestants. I suppose that is what makes them masters!

Before their Elimination Challenge, the six chefs were given the opportunity to create their signature dish for the other chefs. I am betting that the Elimination Challenge is going to be that they need to recreate another chef’s signature dish.

I was right, I was right! But they also needed to put their own twist on it. Hubert chose to recreate Anita’s dish and she would then recreate his. The other pairings were Art and Susan and then Rick and Michael.

Ooh, the other diners for the Elimination Challenge were past Top Chef Masters contestants. They are going to be tough, for sure! Art was first and interpreted Suzanne’s dish by putting the egg in the center of the lamb. Rick’s interpretation of Michael’s dish was a stuffed quail with prosciutto. Suzanne recreated Art’s grouper and added some gnocchi to the fish. Hubert tried to highlight the sea urchin taste of Anita’s dish in his interpretation. Michael’s translation of Rick’s dish included a more subtle flavor palette. And lastly, Anita created a soup and sandwich version of Hubert’s dish.

Based on the comments from the diners and the critics, I think that Anita will walk away as the winner with Rick in a close second. I was right! Anita ended with 24 of 25 stars with Rick right behind her with 23 stars. She received another $10,000 for her charity and both she and Rick were safe for the next round of competition. Ultimately, Suzanne received the lowest score and was sent home. Her quick skills in the kitchen killed her since she plated her dish too early.

Now it’s down to the Top 6 dancers on So You Think You Can Dance. This is such an important performance night because this determines who makes it to the finale! Lil C was on the judging panel this week along with staples Mary Murphy and Nigel Lithgoe.

The Top 3 guys did a group number with Sonya and I am so excited. She is fantastic and it would be interesting to see what she has these guys doing. They performed to a She Wants Revenge song and the piece epitomized that song to a tee. It was perfection. And all of the guys danced it so well. And they were so well in sync it was fantastic. And I agree with Nigel that Evan stood out in that performance.

The first couple of the night was Jeanine & Ade. Louis Van Amstel choreographed a sexy Samba for them and I am so excited to see it. Ooh, and they danced to Lady GaGa’s Love Game. It was definitely not a traditional Samba but I liked it. Mary, the resident ballroom expert, was not so excited about the performance. It definitely was not close to Courtney & Gev’s Samba from last season.

Kayla was the first to take on her solo. She was a little frantic in her solo and it was not as graceful or powerful as I have noticed her to be in the past few weeks.

Melissa & Evan were the next couple to take the stage and they got a Tyce Diorio Broadway number. This better be so good because this is completely Evan’s style. Lil C was underwhelmed by the performance, and especially Evan. Mary, on the other hand, loved the performance. I thought it was super cute and exactly what I would expect from the performance.

I so love Ade when he does his solos. There is something I see there in his solos that I don’t think I see a lot of the time in his partner dances. He is such a good partner in his couples that I think he gets over shadowed by his own strength but in his solos he just shines! It’s brilliant!

Kayla and Brandon were the last dancers to paired together. This could be disastrous for them because they are both a little arrogant and it could be a bit of overload. They were given a Contemporary routine by Stacey Tookey which centered on a mistress of a married man and her unwillingness to leave him. It was definitely a beautiful routine but for me, personally, it was lacking something. In the end I thought it was losing some passion, which Nigel thought as well.

Melissa’s solo was next and I think she has as hard of a time as the ballroom dancers when they do their solos. Ballet is so beautiful but so hard to know how to appreciate. I just think she is lovely and fantastic and hope that others think so, too.

Jeanine & Ade were up next with their second routine of the night. They were given a NappyTabs (that’s Tabitha and Napoleon, kids) Hip Hop routine. Ugh, I just love NappyTabs and their choreography! And I love these dancers! It was sooooo good! Just fantastic and so hard and rough. Love it!

Ugh, so Brandon decided to relive his audition piece for his solo. And this just makes me remember why I hate him so much. Yes, he’s a good dancer but he is so arrogant! He acts so innocent but you can tell that he knows he is good and I can’t stand it! Ugh, if he wins I will be so pissed.

The dreaded Quick Step made another appearance on SYTYCD and Melissa & Evan were the unlucky duo to get this dance. Louis Van Amstel came back to choreograph this fantastic routine. Naturally, Melissa looked beautiful and Evan was super cute. It definitely looked like something from an old Hollywood movie. I couldn’t really see any problems in technique but I thought it was danced very well and I love them both.

Jeanine’s solo was the last for the girls and she is just so good. I think she is clearly the favorite for the girls. And then Evan completed out the solos for the night. I know that some people just don’t understand Evan and his appeal but he is just so good at what he does and he’s incredibly unique.

Kayla & Brandon finished the night with a Disco routine. It was a fun routine that definitely had a lot of difficulty in it. It was a little rough in some parts and was not as good as Brandon & Janette’s Disco routine in the beginning of the season. But overall I think it was really good.

Oh yay! Sonya is choreographing the girls’ piece, too! And it was superhero themed! Like the guys’ dance, they were incredibly in sync and had such identical lines. It was such a fantastic routine and beautiful choreography. And it was so Sonya, too. I just loved it.

Next up on Get Real, a new HOH is crowned on BB11 and the Top 4 are revealed on So You Think You Can Dance! Stay tuned :)

America Votes and They Got it Right! Twice!

Welcome back to Get Real! The finale of The Fashion Show is finally here! Plus, the 100th episode of So You Think You Can Dance. What a night! So let’s get started, shall we?

The final 4 designers all came back to New York to show their collections. They were given just 10 weeks to complete 10 looks of their collections. That’s ridiculous! Oh, major twist! After the fashion show, one of the four designers was going to be eliminated, leaving just 3 remaining designers for America to vote on for the win.

Reco ran into trouble because his statement piece, the wedding dress, didn’t fit any of his models because it was too small! So, he had to let it out in order for it to fit on the models. Dang, Reco, how tiny did you make that dress for no one to fit into it?!

Daniella’s collection was first and it was totally edgy and hipster. It was very Kristen Stewart from Twilight and Taylor Momsen from Gossip Girl. I don’t know if that is necessarily something good because that is a very specific demographic. It’s strange, too, that the feel I got was very young, edgy Hollywood when I wouldn’t have expected to get that type of feeling from her.

Reco was next and I honestly don’t understand the inspiration of the Aztecs. I liked some of his pieces, especially the first dress/jacket. Some of the pieces definitely featured the Aztec theme, but some of them were totally missing it. And some of the pieces looked like they were from Charlotte Russe or something. His past history as a stripper-wear designer definitely came through. And his wedding dress did not work so well.

The next collection was from Anna and I was so excited to see it. Ugh, it was so Jigsaw and Anthropologie. I loved it! It was very hodge podge thrown together but that works well together. It’s exactly the style that I wish I could dress in but I know I just don’t have the eye to put things like that together. So far, she is the best collection. That last statement could have been from my bias of her being my favorite from practically the beginning, but nonetheless, you can’t deny how good it was!

Last, but not least, was James-Paul. Finally, his creativity and architecture could work! Since it was totally him and his collection, he just shined threw. I just wished that he had a larger color palette because everything was so much the same that it was hard to see the difference in each piece, and thus how intricate and beautiful each piece was.

The judges pulled out the one look from each collection that basically summed up the entire theme of the collection. While the judges loved Anna’s clothes, they said that her collection seemed disjointed but at the same time they wanted to see more from her. The judges loved Daniella’s attention to the shoulders but they called her out on her obsession with thin models and not being able to fit them. For Reco, they liked his risk-taking but thought that his usual craftsmanship and attention to detail was lacking. The judges loved James-Paul’s designs but noticed that he might not appeal to actual customers because his clothes were so complex.

So, which designer would be sent home without the chance of winning the $125,000 grand prize? My vote will be for Reco because I was pretty disappointed in his collection. But again, I hate Reco, so that’s that! Yes, I was right. Reco was finally sent home. I think the final three designers are the best from the show and definitely deserved this opportunity.

All of the 15 designers from the show came back for the Finale to find out who won as well as discover what’s been going on with all of the designers. Blah, blah, skip to the end and let’s find out who wins. First, the judges chose their personal favorite of the top three and that winner gets $10,000. And that winner was…Daniella. Now, who won America’s vote? And the winner of The Fashion Show and the $125,000 grand prize is…Anna!! Yay!

I don’t even know how they are going to cut anyone from So You Think You Can Dance because I think they all danced so well last night. Plus, it was the 100th show so it was jam-packed with goodness!

The opening number was a glorious routine to One from A Chorus Line. It had a creepy vibe to it also that was fantastic. Of course it was a Mia Michaels routine, too! Perfect.

After a recap of everything that happened last night, it was then to find out which of the girls were in the Bottom 2. Melissa was safe and I think that Tyce’s routine is what saved her for sure. Though, she was so good before that as well. Kayla was then named as the first one in the bottom. So it came down between Janette and Jeanine. I really hope Jeanine is safe. And she is! So Janette is in the bottom. I think she didn’t do well last night and her solo was a little under par.

Next we got to relive the Hummingbird & the Flower from Season 3, danced by Hok & Jamie, and choreographed by Wade Robson. Oh, this was certainly one of my most favorite routines ever! No wonder it won an Emmy! Ah, perfect, just the way I remembered it. And I so loved this pairing when they were on the show.

The guys were then next to find out their fate with the show. Jason was put in the Bottom 2 while Ade was announced as safe. So this means that Evan and Brandon were the last two standing. Oh my gosh! Could my dream be true?! Brandon was sent to the Bottom 2 and Evan was safe!

Oh, and now it was the Bench routine with Travis and Heidi, choreographed by Mia Michaels. Again, no wonder it

won an Emmy! Definitely another one of my favorites it was just as I remembered it to be. I especially love the part where Travis lies on the bench and Heidi is underneath it and they run their hands along the seat until their hands meet. Ugh. Perfection! Really, I love it all.

Now it was time for the solos of the Bottom 4. Kayla was up first and it seemed like she was enjoying herself. Jason was next and I definitely felt more from him this time than the first time he performed his solo. Janette was next and she did the same really weird solo that I think helped land her in the Bottom. It was just so weird and a bad song and for once I actually wanted to see her Salsa moves. Brandon was last. It was good, like last night, but also just filled with arrogance.

Next was possibly the best ever group routine on this show. I wish I had TiVo when this routine came on because I was just dying to see it over and over and over! And this time, Wade joined the group to dance in Ramalama! This was the original zombie routine and so glorious! Now I have it taped for good! Hehe.

And this routine reminds me that I now love so much music because of this show! How would I ever know about Ramalama?! And I hated Leona Lewis’s Bleeding Love before Tabitha & Napoleon’s routine with Mark & Chelsee. Now I can actually listen to the song because I imagine that fantastic choreography!

Next was the most anticipated dance of the season. It was Katie Holmes’s performance of singing and dancing as an homage to Judy Garland and old Broadway. Naturally, it was choreographed by Tyce Diorio. I’m kinda excited to see this new side of Katie Holmes that I never knew existed. It was definitely a leading lady’s dance because it was pretty simple dancing but she performed it very well! She was better than I thought she would be and I could see her being in Cabaret or Chicago on Broadway.

Okay, now done to the results. It was between Janette and Kayla for the girls. And the girl going home is…Janette! I bet that Mia is shocked! But I am glad that Kayla stayed because I am beginning to like her now. I don’t know why the judges liked her so much but I am not as sad or surprised that she left. Now, for the guys…Jason went home. So sad! I think he was just finally getting good and coming out and getting better. My dream of Brandon leaving is delayed yet again. I am just glad that I got to see that routine with Jason & Jeanine to Travis’s choreography because it was so beautiful.

Next up on Get Real, the final and "After the Final Rose" of The Bachelorette! Stay tuned :)

Foodie Fraternizing and Dancing Memories

Welcome back to Get Real! First on our plate is Top Chef Masters followed by a helping of So You Think You Can Dance.

On Top Chef Masters, we are getting another step closer to The Champions Round. This week’s chefs were Jonathan Waxman from New York, Art Smith from Chicago, Michael Cimarusti from Los Angeles, and Roy Yamaguchi from Honolulu.

Now, I am going to play favorites here and root for Roy! C’mon, he’s Japanese, I have to root for him!

The chefs received their Quick Fire Challenge and it was touch! They could shop in only one aisle at Whole Foods and could only spend $20! Art had the grains aisle, Roy had the pasta aisle, Michael had the pastry aisle, and Jonathan had the international foods aisle. Michael walked away with a total of 5 stars and won the Quick Fire Challenge.

For their Elimination Challenge, the chefs shopped for each other, so it would be a mystery as to what kind of items each chef would get. Michael and Jonathan shopped for each other, leaving Art and Roy to shop for each other. All of the chefs were very nice to each other when they were shopping for their ingredients. Hmm, this could be a close race in the end!

Jonathan ended up with 20 stars in the end, which beat out Roy’s 15 stars. Bummer! Art pulled away with the win with 22 Stars and the last space in The Champions Round. I gotta say that this was so cute seeing how these chefs were so buddy-buddy with each other!

We’re getting closer to the Top 4 dancers on So You Think You Can Dance because now we only have 8 dancers left! The dancers were given new partners and two new styles. Ooh, and sitting on the judging panel this week with Mary and Nigel were Mia Michaels (yay!) and Ellen DeGeneres!! So exciting!

The Top 8 all got to dance a Travis Wall piece that I’m sure will just be fantastic! Oh, it was just a basket of goodness! It was futuristic and contemporary and fast and crazy.

Alright, now Ellen’s commentary is just silly and funny but I love, love, love it. She is so hilarious.

Evan chose Janette as his new partner and they were doing a Sonya Jazz piece! Oh, I love Sonya. I think it was a little S&M in a PG kinda way. I love Evan so much but I don’t think that he was crisp enough in his movements for this piece. What I wouldn’t give to see Mark from last season do this piece!

Kayla did her solo next and she had to go after hearing Mia say that Janette was her favorite of the season. I liked Kayla’s solo and I feel like she is finally coming out of her shell with her personality, and I like it.

The second couple was Brandon & Jeanine. They did a Waltz by Hunter Johnson. We have never seen Jeanine do something elegant! It was very pretty but I don’t think that it was the best waltz. I expected more lifts because Brandon is so strong. This makes me sad because I love Jeanine so much and she is my favorite female dancer but I don’t like Brandon so I’m okay if people don’t like him. Hehe.

Jason was the first male solo and I just love watching him dance. He is so interesting and beautiful. I don’t know if I was so much loving his super skinny jeans…how did he wear those and dance in them, by the way?!

Ade chose his partner next and he was reunited with Melissa! Yay!! They were given a Cha Cha with Tony Meredith.

It was interesting because there were some slow parts to it that I wasn’t expecting in a Cha Cha. I am just so happy to have this couple back together! It wasn’t the best dance from these two but I am just excited to see their next dance.

The next solo was from Janette. And she chose not to do a Salsa solo which was a little strange. She did a semi-contemporary dance to a Celine Dion song. Weird. That could maybe cost her a bit.

The last remaining couple possibility, Jason & Kayla, took the stage next with a Tyce Diorio Broadway routine. Ooh, it was great. It was a wonderful little showcase of Broadway. This was a wonderful pairing.

Ade’s solo was next and he is so kooky. And man does he get some height on his jumps! What a cutie.

Oh no, Janette & Evan had the Rumba next. Hmm, I am not sure about this. I don’t know if Evan can be realistic in a Rumba! Ooh, and they used Kris Allen’s version of Heartless! Hmm, Evan was surprisingly more convincing than I expected him to be! Oh, and Ellen and Mia said the nicest things to Evan and it was so sweet and made me tear up. That’s how I feel, too! I love him and always will!

Ooh, Melissa did an interesting ballet solo to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs! I loved it! It was like good ballerina gone bad. It’s like something you would see in a dance movie where the ballerina brings new styles to her audition routine. I actually wanted it to keep going and didn’t want it to end!

Jeanine & Brandon got a Pop Jazz routine from Making the Band crazy choreographer Laurieann Gibson. I almost wish this was just a solo for Jeanine because she was totally feeling it. She totally made Brandon seem like he was in the background. I barely even knew he was there! It was really great and it made me realize how much I missed Laurieann’s “boom boom kats!”

Cutie Evan did the most precious solo. It’s true that no one can dance the same as him and he is so unique in what he does.

Then Jeanine took on her solo and oh, it was fantastic! I definitely didn’t want it to end and it was something so special from her! I loved it.

Melissa & Ade took the stage next and they tackled an emotional Contemporary routine by Tyce Diorio. The story was a woman living with Breast Cancer and what her friend does for her. I can’t even say anything because it was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. It just had everyone crying, me included.

Brandon performed the last solo of the evening. It was pretty powerful but it showed his arrogance so I can’t like it!

And the last performance of the night was Kayla & Jason doing a Shane Sparks Hip Hop routine. Yay for Shane being back! Jason was playing a zombie trying to get his zombie mistress. I think Jason really excelled in this piece and Shane gave some incredible choreography.

Next up on Get Real, the finale of The Fashion Show and the 100th episode of So You Think You Can Dance! Stay tuned :)