Top 7 perform

What did you guys think of Mariah Carey night? It was actually better than I expected! It's lonely out here in the poppool blogland. Beth? Brad? Cat? And all you lurkers out there...... let's hear from you!

Randy was in another bowling shirt, Paula was wearing her own hair and a plum dress, looking nice, and Simon was wearing, you guessed it, black.... but with white flakes. And, I doubt he has ever had drandruff in his life.

Little David opened the show. He was great. But, a little the same as always. Not surprising, but very good.
Carly sang next, and it was pretty good. She is really a great singer..... but I keep waiting for her to blow me away... and it doesn't quite happen. She was good, though!!!
Syesha sang third, and she looked absolutely beautiful. I loved the glittery hair. She did a great job, and HAD to sing a Mariah song, so the judges couldn't fault her for that.
Brooke was next, at the piano, with one shoe off. She was good.

See, this is difficult, because everyone is good at this point. And, we need to be thankful that there is no mohawked Sanjaya, or headbanded Sanjaya this year.

Then Kristy Lee Cook was up. She also looked great, didn't look like she just got off a horse, and sang well.
David Cook was then up. He started slow and dark, then really came through with his big voice. It was really, really good. The judges liked it, and so did I. And, the tears..... so sweet. I found out later that his brother with brain cancer was there in the audience. People raised money to fly him there... along with a chartered plane, medical support, etc. ..... Wow!
Last was Jason Castro. I agree with Paula....I would like to be at that luau listening to Jason.....

So, what do you think? I predict another all-girl bottom three, as I did last week. I was totally wrong last week, and very surprised. How about you?
What are you guys thinking for this week?

Top 8 Perform

"Inspirational Songs" was last night's theme. Are we inspired, people?
Although some songs were inspiring and great (David A., Jason, and Kristy Lee,) I felt the others simply weren't that inspiring. What did you guys think?

Ryan opened the night with a few words backstage that sounded like "muffle, muffle, okay..." ..... Then, walks onstage and tells us that we get to watch THREE NIGHTS of A.I. this week. Okay, we're all in this together.

Randy was looking pimpalicious in his side burns, Paula was a hand-clap away from popping out of her dress, and Simon was again, always in style, in black.

Michael sang "Dream On," by Arrowsmith. I was distracted by the scarf, the vest (again,) and the back view. Something about that back view I don't like. Uninspiring.
It was okay. Not great. Paula said her chihuahuas would join him on stage, .... what, Paula? Simon prefers the bluesy Michael, and I have to agree. Not great, but okay.

Syesha again broke another idol rule: Thou shalt not take on another Idol Winner's song and try to sing it as well. She's cute, she sings very well, but she keeps breaking the rules of taking on the DIVAs. She sang it well, but why set yourself up for comparison, Syesha. And, why the talking back to Randy?

Jason. Loved it, loved it, loved it. I loved the ukelele, loved the simplicity. I love that song in the first place, and actually have Iz's cd. Jason, you did a beautiful, simple, sweet song........ good job.

Kristy Lee Cook, aka the Little Cowgirl that Could, did a really nice job. She looked great, she sounded great, and the song choice was perfect. She did again stand like she just got off a horse, but maybe she did, who knows.

David Cook: you kind of let me down, dude. I was not inspired. I don't know the song, either, though, and that might have made a difference. I did like the message on your hand, but didn't love the performance. I agree with Simon on this one.

Carly: you are looking good, girl! Good hair, good look. I'm not sure about your performance. Question: Why did you let the Idol Tabernacle Choir finish the long note at the end while you were done, and looking at the floor? That was wierd. It did come off as a little angry, like Simon said.

Little David. I WAS inspired by this performance. Wow! His voice is so great .... love the vocal runs. This was really really good. He's safe.

Brooke. Smiles, sweetness, butterflies, bubbles. "You've got a friend." Fine. Nice. But, probably the bottom three.

Okay...... who's gonna go? We have to wait until Thursday. What do you guys think? I predict a three-girl bottom three.

Top 9 perform!

And the winner tonight is......... David Cook's hair! (Applause please!) Seriously good move, David.

And the loser is:....... Ramiele's suspenders, or Carly's red jeans....

Oh, is this a singing competition? Okay, then.

Brooke, I really really like you, but really, how can you believably sing a song of someone taking your man with a smile on your face? Where is the emotion?

David Cook - great hair. Loved your song. Fantastic.

Ramiele - Suspendered, hair over the eye again. You have such a great voice, but no emotional depth. My husband doesn't think you are going home this week, though.

Jason, I actually loved your song, and agree with Randy that you have that singer/songwriter vibe going on. I really enjoyed it.

Carly....... I thought your song was amazing. It was beautiful and gave me chills. It was probably my favorite that you've done so far.

Little David - you were amazing. I loved it. I think I would love it even more in 10-20 years when you have some life experience. That's just a thought. Emotional depth again.

Kristy Lee..... I love that song, but yours did not move me to tears the way that Dolly does it, ..... or when Shania Twain and Dolly sang it together. ..... Again, lack of emotion. And, you don't want to impress your mama as much as you want to impress Dolly? Oh, girl. Watch ya mouth!

And,.... MYchael. Let me see,......"Tell me sexy loving lies.... it's all wrong, but it's all right.".......... Hmmmm.......... Oh, yes, back to writing the blog. Great performance. Seriously, Michael, you were great.

Okay, bottom three I predict are: Kristy Lee, Jason, and Ramiele. My husband does not think Ramiele will be in there, and he has been right every week with his picks. Good thing he's not playing. Who do you think will go?

Goodbye Chikeze!

Bye Chikeze!

I have to say that I will miss your infectious smile!
I didn't love your last song.... but did enjoy some of your performances very much!

Okay.........

So, I am in 40th place.

4 - 0.

This is bad. I need to get some picks right.

How are you guys doing?

David Cook rocks it hard

What a great performance from David Cook. I agree with the judges that if he keeps it up he could be a real contender . Who would have thought so a few weeks ago? Billie Jean - very creative.

But oh my dear Ramiele - what a tough night for you babe. I actually would love to see her stay, but it will be tough after tonight's performance. She couldn't stay on pitch to save her life. Not a good night for Carly either and thus probably a repeat for her in the bottom three.

As for Kristy Lee, she may have pulled herself out of the crosshairs for a week with her patriotic bit. It was a good performance and she actually does have a strong voice. Better song choices could actually keep her in the game longer.

So who else does that leave in the bottom three...? Chikezie?

What say you?

BB

Kristy Lee... all you need is love.

As a Beatles fan, I was stoked to see another week of great music, and one less week for the producer to choose something like country. Anyway, I guess they were getting greedy going for two weeks as everyone must have pulled out the only Beatles song they knew, save for David A. who was able to redeem himself after last week's choking. Was that Michael who thought Michelle was an English girl? Or how about Kristy Lee who doesn't know ANY Beatles songs. Really? No wonder. Good luck this week babe. All you can pray for is a little love to get a reprise.

Anyway, the motivation for this morning's post was not to blab on about the show, but to share some gems from my dear cousin Annie who has not been able to personally post blogs over the past couple of weeks, but promises to be back soon! Here is what she had to say this morning...

"I hope to start adding to the blog in the next few weeks. But, ......

Didn't Brooke White look like a puppet on a string dancing?
And, why is Ramiele allowed to dress herself? (why am I for that matter?)
And, who picked Carly's shirt? what was that?.....
and, does Kristy Lee really want to "blow Simon's socks off?"

..... Things to ponder........

get your pick in for this week.

Annie"

We're off and running!

So, we finally went big time... Hope you are all enjoying having control over your own ability to enter your picks and to change them at will. Just don't be late or, as some of you found out on Wednesday, you will be cut off!

As you have probably noticed we don't yet have the rankings page working, but hopefully it will be by this weekend. Then you will all be able to see that I am in the lead. :) haha.

So, then given my perfect score, it probably goes without saying that I thought this week's elimination of David Hernandez was obvious. (Sorry Scotty, but what were you thinking? 6th place?). However, I shall enjoy my lead for now as I am not confident it will hold as the field of contestants is very diverse and the public's taste is even more so. The fact that Amanda hangs in there is testament to that. I actually like her, but I'm not sure if were a voting man if I would vote for her. And where the heck is Sanjaya when you need him?!! Actually, wasn't that him they kept showing in the audience last night? Oh brother.

So where are all of you quiet little peeps? I'm guessing that half the camp will be shooting for Kristy Lee to go next week and the other half Sayesha. I was surprised by how many of you had her going out this week. But, that's what makes this so interesting!

What say you?

BB

Road to the Top 12

Hello Idol Fans,

I have a good feeling about this season.  It looks like the judges did there job at not letting the Sanjaya-types into the competition this year.  Once it gets into America's hands you never know.  

Who are your favorites so far?  From the contestants that we've seen so far, I have 4 favorites:  Asia'h, Carly, David Archuleta, and Michael Johns.  I can't wait to hear everyone sing on Tuesday night's show.  

Let's hear what everyone is thinking about the competition so far and who we should all watch out for.

Sabra Wins Season 3!

During the live finale, Sabra Johnson was named America's Favorite Dancer. She seemed genuinely surprised and happy.

Hopefully she will be an inspiration to many up and coming dancers, as she only starting dancing when she was 15. (She's 19 now.)

I thought the final show was wonderful, with repeat performances of some of the best routines of the season.

Good news to all of you Hok fans: Hok, Shauna, Anya, and Jesus will get to join the top 10 on tour as alternates, and Nigel hinted at them being more than alternates, saying on tour, you may just get to see "the Hummingbird....." (Hok's performance.)

Thanks to everyone for playing this summer, and perhaps the best news came last night when Nigel announced the show had been picked up for another season. Here's to next summer!

Top 4 perform!

Last night we saw the top four dancers from "So You Think You Can Dance" perform. While the show had great moments, I was expecting it to be as great as the top 6 show. It was good, with some great moments (Danny's solo,) and now tonight we will find out who the winner will be.

Some things to comment about:

• The "fox" routine. What????? I actually loved it, but felt it probably wasn't the right time or place for that routine. I loved it, though.
• The male "throne" routine. Loved it. Loved Neil's makeup for it. I think they messed up because we never saw Neil leap over Danny completely like we saw during the "rehearsal" segment several times. Loved the routine anyway.
• Sabra's solo. It didn't blow me away. At all. I expected more.
• The Lindy Hop. I liked it, and it looked difficult and extremely athletic. But, did they seem tired to you? How could they not be?
• What was up with Nigel saying he thought a girl should win it, just because one never has? Someone online said "I voted non-stop for the guys just because of Nigel's comment."
• I love the family support: especially the Schwimmers and the Walls (Danny's family), and I saw a big group for Neil. There are a lot of Sabra fans, too. Me included.

Okay, more comments? Look for your email from Beth for clarification of how to send in your picks for today! Good luck everyone!

Top 6 perform!

Last night the top 6 performed! I don't know about you, but I think they are all fantastic and it's going to be hard to have two leave on Monday night. Then, we will see the top 4 on Wednesday, with a two-part finale - two hours Wednesday, and two-hours on Thursday. Whew! I have to block out some time!

Guest judge Debbie Allen joined regular judges Mary Murphy and Nigel Lythgoe. The six remaining dancers performed two couple dances and one solo dance. In what will likely go down as the best overall So You Think You Can Dance performance show ever, the judges were blown away by several incredible performances, as was I.

For their first couples dance, Pasha and Lacey danced hip-hop to “In the Morning” by Junior Boys. Nigel said “I thought it was danced very well, and I think it brought your characters to life.” Mary said “I just can’t believe the two of you together how it’s come along.” Debbie said “Great opening number.” I thought they did a good job, but Lacey didn’t really get to shine to her full potential, and Pasha was really good, but didn’t blow me away. He was great in character and played the part well, of a geeky guy who has fantasies with a mannequin???

For their second couples dance, Pasha and Lacey danced “smooth waltz” to “A Daisy In December” by Mick McAuley & Winfred Horan. Nigel said “I thought the rise and fall, the flow of the movement, the lines and everything was absolutely beautiful.” Nigel didn’t like Lacey’s hands going down at the ends instead of making a continuous line, however. Mary said “It was absolutely dreamlike.” Debbie said “This was like Love Story, and everyone watching wanted to be one of you.” It really was beautiful. I think Pasha is probably one of the best dance partners of all time. But, again, it really didn’t show off what they could do. These two would have been the perfect couple for the Paso Doble, right? A Latin dancer and Latin dancer! Come on! That would have been amazing.

For their first couples dance, Danny and Lauren danced contemporary to “Then You Look at Me” by Celine Dion. Nigel said “Incredible! Absolutely incredible!” Mary said “It was a really a special treat to be sitting here actually and watch the two of you dance that like you did.” Debbie said “This was passion and perfection personified.” This piece was choreographed by Mia Michaels, and it was unlike anything we’ve seen before. They were running all over the stage. They did a great job with it, and it was technically difficult as well.

For their second couples dance, Danny and Lauren danced Disco to “Don’t Leave Me This Way” by The Communards. Nigel said “Absolutely incredible.” Mary said “I thought it was so much fun.” Debbie said “What a perfect duo, the two of you together.” This piece was also actually quite difficult, technically. They pulled it off, and actually looked like they were having fun. I can only hope that people like Danny more and vote for him, as he is an amazing dancer.

For their first couples dance, Neil and Sabra danced Jazz to “Sweet Dreams” by the Eurythmics. They were like cops in a “questioning room” arguing over a table. I’m sure that’s the correct technical term. Nigel said “I hope the finale comes up to this standard, because the dancing and choreography this week are just incredible.” Mary said “You were both equally terrific.” Debbie said “That’s how I like it, hard and fast etc.” Nigel gave Debbie a look, like, this is inappropriate and sounds very sexual. He actually looked a little embarrassed. What is going on between those two, anyway?

For their second couples dance, Neil and Sabra danced Paso Doble to “Espana Gani” by Juan & Gennaro. Nigel said “Wow that was absolutely stunning.” Mary said “I think you guys did tremendous.” (Um, grammar police!) Debbie said “I was so thrilled to see y’all dance this tonight.” This was really fun to watch. Neil was great, and looked great! Sabra was cute, too, of course. And, what about the “human donut” move? That was crazy! But again, this dance really should have gone to Pasha and Lacey, who both do Latin dance.

In the solo dances, Sabra danced to “Rock You Soul” by Elisa. Her solo was amazing, I thought. Pasha danced to “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler. He used a mannequin, which was a little different. Don’t know that I loved his solo. Maybe this week’s mannequin partner dance really got him going on the mannequin fantasy. Just kidding, Pasha, you know I think you’re great! I am a little worried, though. Lauren danced to “Sorry” by Maria Mena. Neil danced to “Out Of My Hands” by the Dave Matthews Band. His solo made me say “wow” a few times. Lacey danced to “Le Disco” by Shiny Toy Guns. This solo was on the risqué side, and I actually noticed her hair extensions a lot, Candice! I didn’t love her solo. Danny danced to “The Fear You Won’t Fall” by Joshua Radin. His solo was good, but I don’t think he needed to lean over backwards off the stage. Maybe he was trying to connect to the song title.

Okay, I'm finally going to talk about this "hush-hush" topic: number fingers. We see it in American Idol, we see it in So You Think You Can Dance. Do "number fingers" bug you? They kind of bug me. If someone was #2 and stuck the two fingers up their nose, I would think that was funny, though.

Also, it seemed like all the judges were unusually nice tonight.

Who will be the next two dancers to be eliminated from So You Think You Can Dance? After this performance show, none of them deserve to go home, so it will likely be a very close vote. The next two eliminations will be revealed on the next results show, airing on a special day and time: Monday, August 13 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT). So, get your votes in to Beth by 5:00 pm Monday!

The Top 8 Perform!!

The guest judge for this week is Adam Shankman (director of Hairspray) joining us for a second time.

The contestants will once again be randomly paired up, but tonight they will perform two routines.

First up are Danny and Sara. They have Argentine Tango and Hip Hop. They start off with their Argentine Tango choreographed by Alex Da Silva. Very sexy routine. Sara was great and did you check out that twist move through Danny’s arm. Danny’s technique is exquisite and when he moves it like he is floating or spinning on ice when he does his pirouettes.

Dominic and Lauren are up next. They got Krump and Rumba. They are Krumpin’ first doing a Lil’ C routine. This should be a good one and for the most part I liked it. However they were out of synch at times. It felt more like a hip hop routine than Krump, but good job. Not the best we’ve seen.

Lacey and Neil got Latin Jazz and Contemporary. First they are doing their Latin Jazz routine choreographed by Maria Torres. I don’t know about the Crunch folks. It seems a little scary to me. You definitely have to have faith in your partner. I really liked the choreography. I wasn’t sure what to expect in a Latin Jazz routine. I really liked the music and that style of dance. I totally agree with Adam’s comments about Lacey needing to connect with her partners more. She focuses on the audience and that takes away from the connection with her partner and fully giving herself to the piece. The judges really tore into them and what they brought (or didn’t) bring to the routine. Will Neil’s bare chest get them enough votes? Not sure.

The final first round routine is with Sabra and Pasha. Can I just say that I love watching Sabra dance. She is my favorite girl hands down. They picked Broadway and the Quick Step. Their first routine is a Broadway choreographed by Tyce Diorio. That was a fun routine. And they got a Mary Murphy scream. Great reviews from all the judges and kudos to Tyce on his choreography. Nigel feels that they both deserve to be around next week.

Now its time for the second round of performances. First up are Danny and Sara with a Shane Sparks Hip Hop routine. Can Danny pull this off? Hip Hop is not his forte. This will be a cake walk for Sara. How did they do? Ok. That didn’t work for me at all. I don’t know if it was the choreography but the performances were not at the level that I thought they should have been. Danny looked a mess and was too worried about his little hat. Adam liked it but Mary called it like I saw it. If this were to be the first time that we saw them, I wouldn’t vote for them. This may affect them with the voting.

Lauren and Dominic are up next with a Tony Meredith Rumba. This is a sexy routine so they have to connect and show the chemistry. Bill Withers should help them out. How about that smooch at the end? I thought they did a really good job. They had the chemistry that was missing in Lacey and Neil’s routine. I can’t comment on whether it was a good Rumba, but according to Mary it was a different Rumba and they performed what Tony choreographed. They needed more hip action in their movements.

Next up is Lacey and Neil with a Mia Michael’s contemporary routine. A “Reunion in Heaven” with Mia and her dad. This will be a special one and as brilliant as her other pieces. That was absolutely beautiful and touching. Mia is so one of the best. Lacey and Neil were great with this. Lacey look like a giddy little girl.

Last up is Sabra and Pasha doing a Tony Meredith Quick Step. That just looks like a lot of work. Very fun and they did a great job. Nigel felt they were the best couple of the night for him based on both of their routines.

So who is going home? Post your thoughts.