# So You Think You Can Dance -- SYTYCD -- Summer 2011 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 8, 2011, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-think-you-can-dance-sytycd-summer-2011/581127 "2011-05-08T03:37:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-think-you-can-dance-sytycd-summer-2011/581127/41 "2011-06-09T21:13:15Z")
> [@Enderw24](#): > > So am I going to be the one to say it? The large girl can’t be on the show. > > For two reasons, really. First, because of her weight, she instantly puts whomever she’s partnered with at a huge disadvantage. Second, she’s just not that skilled. She isn’t. In my mind she should have barely made it to Vegas save for the fact that, really, they can pick anyone to go to Vegas because, who cares? right? But now she’s down to the top 38 after doing one performance over, skipping another entirely, and just not being all that great of a dancer to begin with. NO one else got that sort of second and third chance. There had to be at least four dozen other dancers who got eliminated already and could dance rings around her. > > She can’t go through. But the only reason she’s gotten this far is because the producers want a shot of the two sisters coming down to the single last spot in the top 20 and a tearful 30 seconds of them hugging and crying and saying they’ll love each other no matter who gets picked, before they go with the skinny one. Let’s watch tonight and see if my prediction holds. Stupid TiVo decided that a re-run of Modern Family was more important then SYTYCD so I missed Wednesday’s episode, but I know who you’re talking about. Having said that. You have to assume they have a pretty good idea who the top 10 or at least the to 20 or so are going to be, the rest really don’t matter. At this stage in the game, anyone who’s not likely to make it into the final 20ish is just there for the drama. The sisters that they’ll split apart, the ex gf/bf, the ones that have been through PT for some disease and beaten the odds to make it this far. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-think-you-can-dance-sytycd-summer-2011/581127/42 "2011-06-10T01:59:39Z")
Lotta very good dancers this season. And, yay! online voting! ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-think-you-can-dance-sytycd-summer-2011/581127/43 "2011-06-10T03:40:46Z")
> [@Tequila\_Mockingbird](#): > > I missed Mary last time. > > I am hoping Mia stays away this season I find them both completely loathsome in their own special ways, but I prefer Mia because her loathsomeness comes out in so many different variations on her “I Am An Artist And I Feel So Much” routine, whereas Mary is simply loud and grating. And either way I do enjoy Mia’s choreography. But Sonya kicks her ass, which I know she chokes on, and I like that too. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-think-you-can-dance-sytycd-summer-2011/581127/44 "2011-06-10T03:47:19Z")
Can anyone explain why that girl who has been kicked out FIVE times right near the end got cut last night? She seemed easily equal to others who stayed, EASILY, and her audition was fantastic. What is the problem??? And I think I’m going to strangle the directors who insist on cutting in shots of the judges during the dancing. PLEASE STOP. On this and AGT. I want to SEE THE DAMN PERFORMANCE. If you MUST stick their mugs in, what’s wrong with picture-in-picture? PLEASE??? ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-think-you-can-dance-sytycd-summer-2011/581127/45 "2011-06-10T03:52:40Z")
> [@Enderw24](#): > > For two reasons, really. First, because of her weight, she instantly puts whomever she’s partnered with at a huge disadvantage. Second, she’s just not that skilled. She isn’t. In my mind she should have barely made it to Vegas save for the fact that, really, they can pick anyone to go to Vegas because, who cares? right? But now she’s down to the top 38 after doing one performance over, skipping another entirely, and just not being all that great of a dancer to begin with. NO one else got that sort of second and third chance. There had to be at least four dozen other dancers who got eliminated already and could dance rings around her. > . You called it! I was wondering why they kept letting her through. I am not a dancer and thought maybe she had a grasp of some technique my uneducated eyes couldn’t see. She put up a good effort, but it seems like there are better dancers. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-think-you-can-dance-sytycd-summer-2011/581127/46 "2011-06-10T05:11:06Z")
I really didn’t think Sonja McBadhair’s first piece was that great. Probably just me though. I love that they do these exhibitions shows now. It lets the dancers who will be cut next week have at least one extra night on the stage. I don’t think the Broadway guy’s going to do too well. He’s really short, not particularly good looking, and he does seem very arrogant. 14 year old girls, the main voters, won’t go for that. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-think-you-can-dance-sytycd-summer-2011/581127/47 "2011-06-10T12:13:42Z")
Which is too bad – the number he and the tapper did was a whole lot of fun. Hope he sticks around for at least a while. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-think-you-can-dance-sytycd-summer-2011/581127/48 "2011-06-10T15:04:08Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Which is too bad – the number he and the tapper did was a whole lot of fun. Hope he sticks around for at least a while. I remember in season 4, I think, where they paired a short guy with a tall girl. It looked really weird and they were the first couple eliminated. Hopefully they won’t do that again. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-think-you-can-dance-sytycd-summer-2011/581127/49 "2011-06-10T18:38:27Z")
> [@Stoid](#): > > I find them both completely loathsome in their own special ways, but I prefer Mia because her loathsomeness comes out in so many different variations on her “I Am An Artist And I Feel So Much” routine, whereas Mary is simply loud and grating. > > And either way I do enjoy Mia’s choreography. But Sonya kicks her ass, which I know she chokes on, and I like that too. Blech, I’m just the opposite, I hate Mia’s “choreography”. It’s the same damn dance every time, …some DEEP, dark, angst-ridden, meaningful thing. Or some hateful representation of the battle between two people. I totally agree about Sonya though, she’s twisted, but she’s the right KIND of twisted Twisted with humor and only for the sake of being twisted, not “here, I slit my wrists and eviscerated myself for you” like Mia. Not to mention her hateful, often off the mark attitude toward some of the dancers, like Brandon and Kherington. So far Mary seems to have toned it down a bit on the screaming. The rest of her personality I like. She’s fun, perky and smiley, and there are WAY too many people (Mia Michaels) who think that a thing can only truly be work if it’s black and depressed. Mary may be over the top, corny and annoying, but at least she’s real, as opposed to those fake little smiles Mia does. Thank GOODNESS they’re not having her at least for this season. I agree with the comments on Lil C also, sheesh, I’d put up with Mia, before him, at least she can put two words together in a sentence intelligently. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-think-you-can-dance-sytycd-summer-2011/581127/50 "2011-06-10T18:54:24Z")
Looks like Mia isn’t coming back this season, thank God. She’s a hateful bitch. [From the A. V. Club](http://www.avclub.com/articles/meet-the-top-20,57216/?utm_campaign=recirculation&utm_medium=section_tv_review) (in comments) > [@](#): > > Based on some stray retweets I’ve seen, Mia is currently busy working on Shankman’s ROCK OF AGES, and then she’s going on to SYTYCD Canada instead of the U.S. version this year (which is also what she did the LAST time she left the U.S. version). > > And yeah, this was kind of a tremendous outing for the show - some inconsistency in the group performances, but the combination of the performance show and the Top 20 Reveal was brilliant. Show seems on the ball this season. ---
**Author:** ![Boggette](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@Boggette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boggette)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2011, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-think-you-can-dance-sytycd-summer-2011/581127/51 "2011-06-11T00:20:10Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Which is too bad – the number he and the tapper did was a whole lot of fun. Hope he sticks around for at least a while. Yes! This is the kind of dancing I tune in to see. Some routines I just have to fast forward through. But those two guys were having FUN with that routine. I even rewound to watch again, which is extremely rare. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2011, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-think-you-can-dance-sytycd-summer-2011/581127/52 "2011-06-11T06:37:47Z")
The best time to be called in is 3rd from last. You’re guaranteed a spot in the top twenty. The judges don’t even bother to psyche you out with a fake rejection. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2011, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-think-you-can-dance-sytycd-summer-2011/581127/53 "2011-06-16T02:59:20Z")
Pretty good first show – no one really sucked, though some were better than others. Was there any couple where at least one of the partners _wasn’t_ dancing in his or her genre? Clearly the best – Melanie and Marko. I gave them a few votes – but mostly I voted for Iveta and Nick, who was freaking _amazing_. We’ve never really had a tapper who could do much out of his/her genre … before now. My guess is Ashley and Rich for bottom two – they just didn’t get a number that showcased them particularly well. Didn’t really care for Ryan and Ricky, but that’s mostly because I find Ryan’s teeth so scary. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2011, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-think-you-can-dance-sytycd-summer-2011/581127/54 "2011-06-16T03:15:52Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Was there any couple where at least one of the partners _wasn’t_ dancing in his or her genre? Well, they _did_ give up any pretense that the guys drew the dances out of a hat. The judges were pretty much solid compliments for everyone this week. I think the worst I heard were a few remarks about facial expression. Perhaps they feel like being merciful the first time around. Bad luck for Caitlyn – having to adapt to a new partner at the last minute PLUS she was automatically going to have to dance for her life regardless of how well or badly she danced. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2011, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-think-you-can-dance-sytycd-summer-2011/581127/55 "2011-06-16T05:03:40Z")
I think they’ll finally be able to break the Quickstep Curse. I like Robert, although I could see Woo getting annoying fairly quickly. ---
**Author:** ![xkit0katx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/50afbb/32.png) [@xkit0katx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xkit0katx)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2011, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-think-you-can-dance-sytycd-summer-2011/581127/56 "2011-06-16T14:16:30Z")
Melanie and Marko had me in great big sobbing tears, it was so beautiful. None of the others really grabbed me emotionally though. Nick and Iveta got a vote from me too, for being technically _amazing_. Quickstep, being waltz on crack, is my favorite to watch. I’m so happy that they (especially Nick), owned the pants out of it. They literally looked like they were flying across that floor… The hip-hop routines were very meh for me. Seconding the comment on Robert and the Woo - I find it extremely obnoxious though I love him as a dancer. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2011, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-think-you-can-dance-sytycd-summer-2011/581127/57 "2011-06-16T14:32:54Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Clearly the best – Melanie and Marko. I gave them a few votes – but mostly I voted for Iveta and Nick, who was freaking _amazing_. We’ve never really had a tapper who could do much out of his/her genre … before now. I think Nick was brilliant, but I also don’t think it was THAT big a stretch: if any non-ballroom dancer is going to nail the quickstep, I’d bet on a tapper, which is just what Nigel pointed out. Phenomenal footwork is what tapping is all about. But I was very relieved that they were so amazing and I’m seeing agreement here, because I fear that Iveta is going to be having a hard time. I find her fascinating, but I think her European reserve, (note that she was the only one of the girls who failed to jump up in glee when she found out who her partner was, which I respect her for since that bit of business was getting on my nerves) plus her age,put her at a disadvantage that is going to keep the usual big voters from voting for her, and that would be a shame, because she’s beautiful and obviously enormously talented. So she needs the Nicks to keep her in the game. > [@xkit0katx](#): > > Melanie and Marko had me in great big sobbing tears, it was so beautiful. None of the others really grabbed me emotionally though. My favorite I think was Shasha and her partner’s dance. Loved that. I lvoe this show to death, but I get frustrated thinking of how many parts there are to it that are not the dancers themselves, the two biggest being the music and the choreography. Too many times I’ve seen dancers shot down by terrible music or weird, unappealing choreography. I would love to see some serious behind the scenes of how this show is really put together. It seems like a huge, complex effort to pull this off every week, a thousand times more complex than Idol. For instance, my number one question is the music: obviously every piece has to be fitted to a specific time. So when does that happen? Do their music people choose the music and cut it and then give it to the choreographers, who then create a piece around it for somewhere in the season? Or do the choreographers choose the music, bring it to the music director who then cuts it with the choreographer’s help…and again: when does that happen? Weeks in advance? How much prep is done pre-season and how much on the fly? And the choreography itself… I’ve read that there have been attempts to come up with a system of notation for dance so it can be written down in some way, but none has ever really worked. How the hell do choreographers and dancers keep track of the moves? Amazing. And genuinely awesome, in the real sense of the word. Dancers blwo me away. I wanted to be one when I was young. Actually, I wanted to be a choreographer. Sigh… ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2011, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-think-you-can-dance-sytycd-summer-2011/581127/58 "2011-06-16T17:19:14Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > Bad luck for Caitlyn – having to adapt to a new partner at the last minute PLUS she was automatically going to have to dance for her life regardless of how well or badly she danced. ☹ We don’t necessarily know that–if this were true, why even hold a vote for her? Mitchell is automatically in the bottom. Which means if Caitlyn gets enough votes, the couple who ranks #8 in voting will have the woman dance for her life and not the man. Also a harsh result, but certainly more fair than Caitlyn getting the shaft automatically. Mrs. AG is in perfect agreement about Ryan’s teeth (and happy face specifically for last night’s number) and Robert’s “Woooo!” Excellent dancer (his jive last night was stellar), but that got old before he even made top 20. Insufferable. Ashley & Rich definitely had the weakest number of the night, but as good as Jess & Clarice were in the Broadway number, it seemed to get the most tepid reaction from the audience, and the genre (regardless of performance or execution) will be the killer and place them low as well. The other hip hop (Ryan/Ricky) was only OK so I’m guessing they’re also in the danger zone. The guy that impressed me the most last night was Wadi. Wow! Incredible agility but perfectly organic to the piece (and better than Missy). I have to say I was really impressed by Caitlyn as well, though no single woman stood out for me last night. Melanie & Marko and Iveta & Nick were the highlights. Still too early to see how the Teen Crush variable will play itself out, but that is a factor never to be underestimated. Overall, though, a really talented group overall. ---
**Author:** ![Tequila\_Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/41988e/32.png) [@Tequila\_Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tequila_Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2011, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-think-you-can-dance-sytycd-summer-2011/581127/59 "2011-06-16T17:52:51Z")
My favorite of the night was Wadi and Melissa. They just blew me away. I gave them most of my votes last night. Though I did throw a few to Iveta and Nick as well, because I was so impressed with Nick. And, one to Jess and Clarice. TurboDog and I are convinced a girl is going to win this season, and we’ve chosen Jordan as our probably winner, based on nothing. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2011, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-think-you-can-dance-sytycd-summer-2011/581127/60 "2011-06-17T05:28:26Z")
Y’know, I’m not really surprised by tonight’s result. I could see they wanted to get rid of Robert but they couldn’t very well do that because injured guy didn’t dance last night and they didn’t want to pass IJ right through. OTOH, they didn’t want to get rid of injured guy because he hasn’t really done anything. Within the first two seconds of the group-dance I knew it was a Sonja piece. I’ve watched this show for too many years when I can tell the choreographer by just a couple of seconds. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-think-you-can-dance-sytycd-summer-2011/581127.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-you-think-you-can-dance-sytycd-summer-2011/581127.md?page=4)