Howard Gordon has landed his next television project with 20th Century Fox, based on the Israeli drama ‘Hahatufim’ (The Kidnapped).
To accompany the upcoming Madonna-themed episode of ‘Glee’, Sony Music will release “The Power of Madonna EP” featuring 7 covers performed by the cast.
The ‘Neighbours’ star is leaving the long-running Australian soap to pursuit a new career path with the army.
April 28th, 2009 2:05 pm
After nearly 3 months of performances, it was time for the winner to be announced.
Talia wins 'So You Think You Can Dance Australia' 2009.
After nearly 3 months of performances, it was time for the winner to be announced.
First we had a massive night of dancing in the Finale to get through First.
We were treated to a short flashy recap of the season to open the show, then we began with an amazing group routine compising a cast of the Top 100 by Kelley Abbey to the Anthemic ‘Everybody’s Free’ Remix by Global Deejays Feat. Rozalla that was used in the Show’s breathtaking Pre-Season Promos.
At the end Our Final 4 dropped from ribbons in the ceiling and the crowd went wild. Nat Bass welcomed us and the Judges to the show and promised us a spectacular night of Dance.
First Creator Nigel Lythgoe and special guest judge Mary Murphy dropped in via Video conference from Las Vegas to give their congratulations to our Top 4.
Then, For the last time, Amy, Ben, Charlie and Talia danced together in a Sarah Boulter routine about the trials and tribulations of friendship. The track was “Broken Strings” from James Morrison (featuring Nelly Furtado).
Next, Selected members of the Top 100 and the show’s choreographers performed a Nacho Pop and Juliette Verne routine to a number from the “Kill Bill” soundtrack, and the audience was thouroughly enthralled.
Leading ladies Lamb and Chanelle were supported among others by Don, Emmanuel, Sisqo, Pania, Danny, Max and Jesse, and by mentors Adam Williams, Travers Ross, Tiana Joubert, Nacho Pop, Marko, and Simon from Project Moda.
We saw the amazing NY Dance Company Pilobolus, who have appeared on Oprah, Then Jason’s favourite dancer from this season’s auditions and Top 100, Forever, returned for the Finale, supported by soprano Joseph Bourke and an extraordinary orchestra.
Then we had a break from the performances and were treated to a clip where Winners of the Optus Dance Crew competition received their $5,000 prizes in person from Kelley Abbey – and got a free dance lesson that one young girl said made it “the best day of my life”.
Talia left Queensland Ballet to pursue her Dance dream. On this most important night of her life, her old company was here to support her – backed by two percussionists from Taikoz.
The Top 10 returned and featuring our Final 4 in their last chance to gain votes before voting closed, they performed a funky Hip Hop routine by Supple to “Bounce/Boom Boom Pow” by MSTRKRFT feat. N.O.R.E. /Black Eyed Peas.
We saw another amzing performance bvy the Australian Ballet Company, then Nat revealed that Talia & Loredo’s Amè Delves choreographed ‘Love Story’ routine was the winner of the McDonald’s ‘I’m Lovin It Moment of the Season’ as voted on the website.
Next up we got the chance to relive 4 of thsi season’s best couples performances, each featuring one of the top 4.
Amy & Damien redanced one of her ‘Defining Moments’ were Australia started to take notice, the ‘Suitcase Rumba’ to Duffy’s ‘Stepping Stone’.
Ben & Pania Relived the Routine that kicked off The Top 20 show right back at the beginning – set to ‘Talk Like That’ by The Presets.
Talia & Loredo gave us their ‘I’m Lovin It’ Moment winner routine in full, and it was just as amazing as the first time.
Finally, Penny was recovered enough from her rib fracture to Dance with Charlie again in one of their defining routines, the popping ‘Single Ladies’ Routine from the Top 20 show, and It brought the house down all over again.
Next Up, Judge Bonnie Lythgoe joined Jason Gilkison to choreograph Damien, Ash-Leigh and other exquisite dancers in a ballroom extravaganza to Bond’s “Explosion”.
We almost forgot that this was a competition when it was time to whittle down to the Fianl 3. Talia & Amy went through first, Leaving Charlie & Ben to sweat it out. Nat revealed that Ben who came fourth.
After viewing his incredible journey, Ben thanked everyone including the production crew – “Jenny and Carlos, you rock” – but reserved special mention for his Mum, and his beautiful girlfriend, Zoe.
As Amy, Charlie & Talia were left to ponder how much further they were going in the competition, Caroline O’Connor and the cast of the Chicago came on to perform “All the jazz”.
We were getting closer, and it was becoming harder, as our top 3 assembled to farewell our 3rd place getter. Charlie was sent through first, and Talia & Amy nervously awaited Nat’s verdict. Alas, for Amy, she would go no further. But she did emulate exactly her role model, Kate from last year – making Top 3.
Her farewell package reminded us of all her fabulous work and then she thanked her Mum, Dad, her sisters and the collective Central Coast population.
Next up was the Fianl routine of the Night – The Traditional Top 2 Routine.
To take into account all possible outcomes, Jason Gilkison created and worked up three fabulous Top 2 routines and Talia & Charlie were the lucky ones who got to perform it. Nice work, Jason G.
After the Break, This was it. With just two wonderful dancers left, Natalie announced that the winner of Season 2 of So You Think You Can Dance was Talia.
Talia said that this had been “the most amazing personal growth journey” for her and she was now going to do “anything” because she was over her “insecurities” and was so much more confident because of her Dance experiences.
Matt said Talia had been “the dark horse” of the competition, Bonnie said that she would “wow” the States, and Jason said that he wanted the winner to be the person who would best represent Australia. He believed we had got that.
Commiserations, Charlie. Congratulations, Talia! Well done, Australia.
So, After another amazing season of Dance, that is it for this Year of SYTYCDA!
Don’t forget to check out ten.com.au/dance for all the post-season articles and the best moments of the season.
Until next time, another fantastic season of Dance! 
April 26th, 2009 4:08 pm
It’s your last chance to vote for your favourite dancer on ‘So You Think You Can Dance Australia’.
It’s your last chance to vote for your favourite dancer on ‘So You Think You Can Dance Australia’.
Voting lines are open until 8:30pm AEST tonight. So make sure you get your votes in on time!
The ‘So You Think You Can Dance Australia’ grand finale begins 7:30pm tonight on Network Ten.
Call: 1902 555 561
SMS: Amy to 19 10 10
Votes cost 55c max. 190 votes from mobiles extra. Lines close 20:30 AEST 26/04/09. Helpdesk: 1300 792 699. Acknowledgement of your vote may include marketing information.
Please note that you will not receive a SMS reply message during the Finale of So You Think You Can Dance (Sunday, 26th April 2009).
Call: 1902 555 562
SMS: Ben to 19 10 10
Votes cost 55c max. 190 votes from mobiles extra. Lines close 20:30 AEST 26/04/09. Helpdesk: 1300 792 699. Acknowledgement of your vote may include marketing information.
Please note that you will not receive a SMS reply message during the Finale of So You Think You Can Dance (Sunday, 26th April 2009).
Call: 1902 555 563
SMS: Talia to 19 10 10
Votes cost 55c max. 190 votes from mobiles extra. Lines close 20:30 AEST 26/04/09. Helpdesk: 1300 792 699. Acknowledgement of your vote may include marketing information.
Please note that you will not receive a SMS reply message during the Finale of So You Think You Can Dance (Sunday, 26th April 2009).
Call: 1902 555 564
SMS: Charlie to 19 10 10
Votes cost 55c max. 190 votes from mobiles extra. Lines close 20:30 AEST 26/04/09. Helpdesk: 1300 792 699. Acknowledgement of your vote may include marketing information.
Please note that you will not receive a SMS reply message during the Finale of So You Think You Can Dance (Sunday, 26th April 2009).
April 22nd, 2009 2:26 pm
This was it Australia. The top four’s final chance to win you over before the Grand Finale of ‘Dance’ 2009 next Sunday.
The Top 4 give an amazing final group routine before the Finale.
“Top 4 Give It Their ‘All For You’”
This was it Australia. The Final 4’s final chance to win you over before the Grand Finale of Dance 2009 next Sunday.
They kicked it off with an amazing Hip Hop piece by Supple to Janet Jackson’s ‘All For You’. The crowd went wild. The Judges gave their thoughts on the Final 4 and Matt urged them to ‘Dance their butts off’ while Bonnie urged them to ‘Forget the pressure’ and the night was ‘All about them’.
With 5 Routines for each dancer in every combination, Jason applauded the Dancers for coping with the enormous workload, and we were off.
First Up, Charlie & Talia in a Debbie Ellis Linnert Lyrical which had an emotionally charged end-of-relationship flavour set at a train station to Duffy’s ‘Warwick Avenue’.
Bonnie said they were “wired so differently” but they’d both made “such a connection” and her heart was “pounding”. Jason “totally believed the journey”. He said Talia pulled off “partner angst very well” and her developé to second was “ballistic”. Charlie had taken ownership of the routine himself and “looked after Talia’s needs”. Matt said “the other guys are going to have to bring it ‘cause that was outstanding”.
It was a domino effect as Talia now danced with Ben in ‘less than 10 mins’. They danced a Tango routine by Fabio Robles to a Gotan Project Remix of Sarah Vaughn’s “Whatever Lola wants”.
Jason found Talia “very sexy” and felt she’d “really blossomed in the last 3 months”. The dance suited “the Ben pride thing” that he has going on but that he got left slightly behind by Talia’s intensity. Matt liked Talia’s footwork and said Ben was a great partner but would have liked “a little more passion”. Bonnie disagreed and said she ‘couldn’t split them’.
Domino effect! Ben Partnered Amy in a Chilly routine as the ‘Ice Prince & Princess’ in a Lyrical piece by Travers Ross to ‘Coldest Winter’, By Kanye West.
Matt Was more excited that we had ‘Snow’ on stage, but the reception from Jason was a little frosty. He didn’t think the costumes did justice to the cold characters they were trying to create and he just ‘didn’t feel it’.
Amy then went on to Dance with Charlie, for the very first time in the whole competition as couples! It was also Charlie’s first ‘Latin’ routine of the competition and his only ballroom NOT choreographed by the king of ballroom, Jason Gilkison.
They danced a fun and upbeat Leeanne Bampton Samba to “Mas Que Nada” by Sergio Mendes featuring the Black Eyed Peas, which had Amy doing a quick change of costume behind a screen halfway through that Natalie wanted to know the secret to.
Bonnie said the Samba required a lot of small steps and Charlie “wasn’t perfect” but they’d done “an excellent job”. Jason thought Amy was “a safe performer” whom he never feared wouldn’t pull something off. Ballroom hadn’t produced Charlie’s finest moments but this was his best “by far”. Matt loved Charlie’s cheeky character and Amy was doing “such a fabulous job tonight”.
Next up was the Guy’s Duo routine, a Cameron Mitchell routine which was drawn from a scene in a Gene Kelly movie where he ‘danced with his reflection’. the track was Billy Idol’s “Dancing with myself”. The crowd went off.
Jason thought it was a fantastic routine and a great shame that Charlie had slipped off the stage at the end but it “didn’t spoil it”. He said Gene Kelly had been known for being effortless and Ben had conveyed that quality more than Charlie, but Charlie’s line had been superior. Matt felt the Gene Kelly style was more Ben than it was Charlie, but in the turns Charlie had been better. Bonnie thought it was superb and agreed that Ben had the Gene Kelly style, having worked with the great dancer during her career.
Ben wanted to add how much he’d enjoyed working with Charlie because “you’re a great dancer and you’re a great person”. “Ditto” said Charlie.
Sarah Boulter put Talia & Amy in one high heel and one pointe shoe in a Contemporary routine to an Adam Freeland remix of Sarah Vaughn’s “Fever”.
Amy said it was a little bit intimidating getting on pointe next to Talia but Matt said she had “no need to feel inferior” to the ballerina. Talia had beautiful extensions but Amy had the maturity. Bonnie thought it was “a great idea” and “really incredible, both of you”.
Jason thought Talia’s line was “slightly longer” but Amy had more “performance maturity”.
Last point for the night was the Top 4 Solo routines. Each dancer drew a song out of a hat and Performed their hearts out.
Charlie Drew Kings Of Leons’ ‘Revelry’. Amy took us on a journey with Miley Cyrus’s ‘The Climb’, Ben got Coldplay’s epic ‘Viva La Vida’, and Talia closed with Rihanna’s ‘Take A Bow’.
And take a bow they did. With the show now over, The Top 4 joined Natalie onstage and the crowd just Cheered and went wild for a good minute or so. Natalie & The Judges gave their thoughts, and Now it was up to you Australia. Natlie detailed what would be on at the Grand Finale, and that was it.
Don’t Miss Next Week as we find out Who is Australia’s Favorite Dancer for 2009. It’s going to be a Dance Bonanza!
April 15th, 2009 11:51 am
The Top 20 returned for an Easter Spectacular.
‘Special Edition with Easter Egg Features’
So we’ve reached the Easter Non-ratings period. Last Year we got and up close & Personal interview and Top 10 recap clip show, This Year they turned it up a notch and The Top 20 Returned to put on a great show free of the pressures of competition, dancing all new routines with brand new partnerships, and also gave us a taste of what to expect next week with a group Performance by our 2009 Top 4.
It all started by re-introducing the Top 20 in the usual way, with our Top 4 rounding out the Bunch. Nat welcomes the judges and Matt commented that it was great to see the stage so full again and to see how far we’d come. A Happy Easter From Bonnie, and we were off.
Intercut between tonight’s performances were re-screenings of all the Group Performances, This time with added Behind-the-scenes footage of the Dancers learning the routine and reminisce narration by our Top 4!
Remember you can also watch all the performances again along with many more videos & extra stuff on the OS at Ten.com.au/dance.
First up was the amazing Kelly Abbey Choreographed Top 20 group routine to ‘Let Me Think About It’, which Amy said ‘Set Such a high bench mark’.
First Top 20 couple of the night were the two ballroom dancers, Damien & Ash-Leigh, in a Jason Gilkison Rumba to Christine Aguilera’s “Hurt”. Ash-Leigh said she’d improved by being exposed to other genres and Damien said it was a rare privilege to work with Jason G – “the best ballroom choreographer in the world”.
Next replay – Jason Gilkison’s Top 18 ‘Objection Tango’ number. Charlie said that when the great choreographer “looks into your eyes, you sweat”.
Timomatic got to play Steve Urkel chasing Gianne in a Supple Hip Hop routine to Jean Michel Jarre’s “Zoolookologie”.
Nat wanted to know if Tim could “get those pants any higher” and our Hip Hopper said it was great to be appreciated for doing what you love.
We revisited Tiana Joubert’s Top 16 Tribal Hip Hop and Gianne led the girls in a ‘Booty Shake-off’. The dancers had been asked to choose an animal character and Charlie went with “sloth”.
Priscilla: Queen of the Desert – The Musical has just opened in London’s West End and Adam Williams choreographed Stephen and Max in a routine from the show to Donna Summer’s “Hot Stuff”.
Max said they were a good combination because they were “both complete weirdos” but Stephen said “Speak for yourself, Weirdo”. Bonnie reviewed this routine and had to be fanned down by Matt.
In reviewing the Top 14 Bushfire Contemporary piece, all the dancers talked of how much it meant to be able to express their grief for the victims of the tragedy.
Real-life couple Pania & Emmanuel were paired on the dance floor, playing “two cool sexy cats” in a routine by Nacho Pop to Justin Timberlake’s “I’m lovin it”.
Asked by Jason what it was like to dance with his girlfriend, E-man said that “when she corrects me I sort of have to like to be corrected”.
After seeing those incredible dancers from the Australian Ballet again, we returned to Kelley Abbey’s Top 12 routine and Charlie said he had thrown himself “into that peacock madness”. We saw how the intricate routine with all those Feather’s came into play.
Chanelle never got the chance to do her beloved Contemporary in competition so it was a dream come true for her to be paired with Danny in a routine by Sarah Boulter to “Oh oh child” by Nina Simone. Danny said it was great to be able to dance with Chanelle because “we don’t restrict each other”.
We saw again the 70s-inspired Project Moda (Who Charlie reckons are “some crazy dudes”) Top 10 routine set to a Mash up Remix ‘Music Inferno’ by Madonna. Amy said that it had been “the best way to celebrate all that we’ve achieved”.
Gianne was back again filling in for Penny, who was not quite up to dancing again just yet, and this time she was paired with Top 10 buddy Loredo in an Afro Jazz piece by international choreographer, Adam Parson.
They played Pebbles and Bam Bam and Bonnie considered this “one of my favourite routines”. “Yabba-dabba-do!”
After a replay of the amazing unison of the dancers from Wind of Shaolin, Nacho Pop took us through the fun of his recent Road Trip around the country teaching people some new moves.
We got to enjoy again Jason Gilkison’s Top 8 routine and Learned that the master choreographer had the girls and guys switch roles in rehearsals so the guys had a better understanding of where they needed to place their partners to give that polished effect to the routine.
Seasoned hip hoppers, Jesse & Lamb, were lost backpackers in Australia complete with backpacks and souvenir paraphernalia (Matt commented they looked like they’d raided a souvenir shop in Darling harbour) in another crazy routine by Supple – this time to a remix of Frank Sinatra’s “This town”.
Matt initiated some awkward and hilarious moments with Lamb in reviewing the routine. When asked how the reception had been back in Perth since leaving the show, Lamb apologized that she hadn’t been back yet and had just been ‘hanging out here’ since leaving the show! He also noted that she had dreadlocks and she joked that she was so depressed after leaving the show that she hadn’t showered since. Jesse, being the first of the guys to leave the competition, was glad for the opportunity to come back and show his stuff.
We got to see the legendary Tabitha & Napoleon work with the Top 6 in their group routine and saw how this amazing team of choreographers encourages their dancers to contribute to the process. When Ben added a little trick, Napoleon said, ‘that was cool” and it was in.
We weren’t going to leave our favorite cheerleader out of the night’s proceedings, so everyone went wild when Penny came onstage and Nat was happy she got to literally ‘Embrace The Penny’. Still recuperating from her broken rib, Penny wasn’t up to dancing a new routine but we did get to swoon again at her amazing “You found me” contemporary with Charlie – another candidate surely for “Routine of the season”.
Kat & BJ had previously worked with Leeanne Bampton in the Godfather Foxtrot in the Top 8 week but this time they were more lighthearted in a Jive that had Elvis meeting Gidget, set to one of the King’s big hits, ‘Rubberneckin’.
Kat said her biggest challenge on the show had been facing the pressures of SYTYCD without her Mum, while BJ said that he was proof positive that if you pursued your dreams you could make them happen, and Bonnie agreed that it was great to see dancers come back to the show.
After the break, we finally got to see our Top 4 in action tonight as Matt Lee got the chance to flex his choreography skill, giving us an electrifying Commercial Jazz piece set to Britney Spears’ Hit ‘Womanizer’.
We were treated to another replay of Complexions Dance Company from New York, before hearing the judges’ summation. Matt told our Final 4 that the next few weeks would be stressful but “you’re gonna kill it”. Bonnie thought the Final 4 were “fantastic” and Jason C said not to let the pressure get to them. “Just turn up and be you”.
So this is it Australia. After this Sunday, the Dancers will have shown all they have in the competition to be crowned this season’s Winner and Australia’s Favorite Dancer for 2009. Don’t forget to check out the OS’s amazing series of articles on each of the Top 4’s Dance journey’s so far, and be watching 7:30 Sunday on Ten where the Dancers will be dancing in every combination, and if that Matt Lee group performance was anything to go by, its going to be pretty awesome.
April 9th, 2009 12:04 pm
‘Outstanding All-round’
The Top 6 Performance show really delivered some of the Season’s Best and most powerful performances – and helped along by the Inclusion of US Choreographers Tabitha & Napoleon – It was so difficult to split the Dancers as they gave it their all to get into our Top 4 and the Finale this season. Let’s go back to how it all began this week.
The Top 6 Danced their Hearts out in a Stellar Perfomance Show.
Natalie opened the show and welcomed the judges. Without further ado, there were 8 Routines to get through, so off we went.
First up was the Boy’s Trio routine, choreographed by Supple, who came up with a simply brilliant concept that had each male dancer playing both cop and robber simultaneously to “King of the Beats” by Matronix.
Matt thought they were “three really strong versatile dancers” but had no individual notes because he was “caught up in the story”. Bonnie said they’d all done a “good job” but liked BJ’s flip, warned Charlie not to let the prop rule the dance and watched Ben “every step of the way”. Jason thought “Ben owned that” and Charlie “popped a little harder than BJ”, who was “left behind slightly there”.
We went to the Beach with Bj & Talia with a comedic Project Moda 40s Jazz routine that had BJ playing a geek to Talia’s hard-to-get beach babe. The track was Yellow’s “How how”.
Bonnie said the routine was “different to the extreme” but noticed BJ nearly dropped Talia towards the end.
Talia said it was “kind of fun” but Jason saw her face and said it didn’t look like she was enjoying it. He loves Project Moda’s work but didn’t like the routine and found it hard to adjudicate because there was “so little dance content”. Matt agreed but loved Talia’s fuete into the attitude turn and thought BJ had “great comic timing”.
Kat & Charlie were in their element with Hip Hop but were in for a treat being choreographed by our special guests Tabitha & Napoleon from the US SYTYCD. They danced to “Arab Money Remix” by Busta Rhymes, in a routine that revolved around a box full of cash which exploded at the end.
Jason said they were both “absolutely fantastic”. Charlie really “sits into this stuff” and he just wished Kat hadn’t kept poking out her tongue.
Matt “loved the unison”. He also thought Kat “killed it” and Charlie “nailed it”. Bonnie said Charlie had got his head together after last week and “kicked it through that door”. It was “on the money”.
Amy & Ben, now the shows ‘Senior Dancers’ left as dubbed by the judges, teamed for the second time in the competition in a Paso Doble by the master himself, Jason Gilkison, to another grand and epic sounding track that almost always accompanies this style: “the Jesus Christ Superstar overture”.
Matt loved the look on Amy’s face that said she was “in that place” but spent the routine watching “masculine” Ben.
Bonnie “loved the routine” because of “proud” Ben and the way Amy “got right into character”. Jason C had huge expectations but was “left a little flat”. After the boos subsided, he said it “didn’t build, didn’t lift and didn’t go anywhere” – but hoped the audience would still vote for them.
The busy Napoleon & Tabitha had also choreographed a routine for Talia & BJ that had him playing an alcoholic to her long-suffering girlfriend. The track was “Dead and Gone” by T.I. (featuring Justin Timberlake). They truly danced their hearts out in what turned out to be one of if not the standout performance of the Season, with standing ovations from the Judges.
Bonnie said she “lived the story and it was “the top routine of the night”. Jason went further, saying it was “the highlight of my entire week, if not my entire year”. He loved the “honesty”, the “unison” and the “amazing ownership of the characters”. Matt went further still, saying it was “the best routine of the series”. Talia had “wiped the floor” and BJ had produced “the best dancing I’ve seen you do”.
Kat & Charlie not only got a Tango routine from Jason Gilkison – they got a pep talk from him about how they weren’t displaying the hunger to go further in the competition, and that gave them the incentive to get really serious with the routine, and show more than a lot of fluffy & happy routines they had been given over the season. The track was an acoustic version of “Got to get through this” by Daniel Bedingfield.
Jason C “loved that routine”. He told Kat “that’s the best performance I’ve ever seen you give” and that she showed “a maturity beyond your years”. He said she’d been off balance but Charlie gallantly took the blame.
Matt also thought Kat was “sensational” and loved the “sharp footwork”. Bonnie said the sparks Jason G had been looking for had turned into “wonderful fireworks”. She also thought it was Kat’s “best performance” and didn’t know how Australia would separate the boys.
For the final couple routine of the night, Amy played a wife serving divorce papers on reluctant husband Ben. The Lyrical piece was by Ame Delves – who conceived the famous Romeo & Juliet “fabric” routine for Loredo & Talia earlier this season – the track – “Fall for you” by Secondhand Serenade.
Matt said they had “portrayed the characters brilliantly”. Ben was such a “great lyrical dancer” and Amy’s scissor lift was “sensational”. Bonnie loved Amy’s jeté turns and Ben is great “with everything he does”.
She was so engrossed in the story she said she “didn’t want to see them Divorce each other” and beckoned for Natalie to give her the Papers so she could rip them up!
Jason thought it was a great comeback and that this “brilliant routine” would resonate with the audience. “Great work, great commitment, great, great, great, great great”.
The show’s final number had all three girls dressed as Sally Bowles from “Cabaret” in a Jazz routine by Kelly Aykers to “Wilkommen” from the original soundtrack.
Bonnie saw Kat fall off her final pirouette but thought Amy “hit those kicks” – as did Talia. Jason said Amy missed a beat at the top of the routine and was “devastated” for her. He also noticed Kat’s lapse so in his estimation, “Talia, you won”. Matt thought Kat was not the only one to come unstuck with the fuetes at the end, but had trouble differentiating who was who in their identical costumes. Overall he thought they’d done a “fantastic job”.
Australia had a Tough decision – although it could also be slightly comedic – Jason slipped up during the show and said he hoped people would “Get on the phones and dance for you”!
All 6 Deserved to be there but the nature of the game is that 2 had to go home. Who would it be?
Monday came and Tabitha & Napoleon got one last chance to show off their skills choreographing the final Monday night group routine – a Hip hop number which had the Top 6 in White space-esque outfits.
Nat Bass talked to the Judges and we were straight into it tonight with the Top 6 Performing what could be their Final Solo of the competition.
Highlights included Charlie showing us a solo having never had to ‘Dance For His Life’ before now, Amy’s solo to an Acoustic arrangement of Britney Spears’ ‘Toxic’, and BJ brought the house down, giving it his all in a solo to Ian Carey Project smash ‘Get Shaky’.
Before we started whittling our dancers down, UK songstress Duffy Performed her latest hit ‘Rain On Your Parade’, then it was down to business. Natalie announced the Guy & Girl who would definitely be dancing in the Finale – Talia – and Ben. After that we were forced to wait just a little longer as ‘Stomp!’ performed a routine with metal bars.
After the break it was the moment of truth. First up the girls. Amy & Kat waited nervously, and it was revealed that Amy was going through. Kat gracefully exited after we saw her package and thanking everyone.
Then it was onto the guys. Between Charlie & BJ, who could split them? Nat announced Charlie as rounding out the Top 4, which meant that BJ was going home. He told us to look out for him and a dance project he was working on, then the Judges gave their thoughts and congratulated the dancers.
So there you have it, Australia, your Final 4 for 2009, Charlie, Talia, Amy & Ben. We’ll have to wait just a little longer for the final Performance show and the Grand Final, looks like we will be on the same schedule as last year, only this year instead of a Judges recap special, Nat Announced This Sunday we’ll be treated to an ‘Easter Special Performance Show’ featuring performances from This Season’s Top 20! Should be great!
Check out the OS at ten.com.au/dance for all the perfomance videos, recaps and news!
April 1st, 2009 10:07 am
The Top 8 week turned out to be one of the series most controversial weeks on ‘Dance’, and shook up the dancers in more ways than one.
The Girls group routine - Bootylicious or too much on the skanky side?
Freaky, Slightly Skanky, & Controversial
The Top 8 Week turned out to be one of the series most controversial, and shook up the dancers in more ways than one.
Mid-week promos told us ‘One Dancer is forced to leave the competition’, and by the weekend it was revealed that everybody’s favorite cheerleader, Penny, sustained a Fractured rib during her routine last week, and the hard but best option was to leave the competition because as the Judges explained, If she continued the facture could puncture her lung, and it also wouldn’t be fair on her male partner worrying about how to perform lifts in her state.
The Top 8 Show opened with Natalie interviewing Penny onstage, and everyone’s thoughts on the situation, and an explanation of what was going to happen. As unfortunate and sad as Penny leaving is, Bonnie mentioned that ‘This happens, dancers get hurt but they come back stronger’, and Matt agreed that ‘There is life after So You Think You Can Dance’ and Penny was excited to get rested and well for the upcoming Top 10 Tour in July. She thanked everyone for their support, and after a touching farewell package, Retreated to the audience to watch the show. This meant as per the rules, Gianne was coming back to partner Charlie in tonight’s routines! Also along for the ride as guest judge this week for the second time this season was Jason Gilkison. And we were off!
An addition this week was the Guys & Girls group routines. Opening the Show were the Guys as Baseball players in a Broadway routine choreographed by Adam Williams in a tribute to Bob Fosse’s legendary production of “Damn Yankees”.
Jason G thought Timomatic was the “weakest technically” and “kept coming back to BJ”.
Bonnie said Tim didn’t have the technique but that meant he had to work twice as hard. Jason C said Timomatic was “out of your league” and he’d expected more of Charlie. BJ was “smooth” but “the actor within the dancer put that routine to Ben”.
Timomatic & Amy went back to the classroom as school kids in a contemporary routine choreographed by Sher Manu to Newton Faulkner’s “To the light”.
Matt thought Timomatic got to explore the Contemporary world a lot more, and that Amy had shown Australia what a “stunning technician” she is. Jason G could see Tim calculating in his head but his improvement was “steaming along”. Amy “put layers onto a performance” and there was “nothing you can’t do in this competition”.
The Beyonce Catalogue sure was getting a workout this season, with Talia & Ben dancing a popping hip hop routine to Beyoncé’s “Diva” in a routine choreographed by Rosa Agius that impressed the judges.
Bonnie thought they were in unison the whole time, and that they both worked hard at everything they do. Jason C didn’t think there was anything more Ben could have done, but that he’d been outdanced by a ballerina. “I actually didn’t know you had that in you, girlfriend”.
Matt thought they both got it “spot on”, and Talia was “killing every genre” .
Gianne & Charlie didn’t disappoint doing it for Penny burning it up with a Disco routine routine by Aleeta Blackburn set to the 70’s dancefloor classic “Le Freak” by Chic.
Jason C pointed out that the couple had one day less to rehearse but that it looked like they were “fighting one another” on their pretzels. Disco “sat well” on Charlie but it wasn’t Gianne’s best performance. Jason G found Charlie “a bit cheesy” and that Gianne had been “quite heavy” coming in and out of the lifts.
Bonnie disagreed with Jason G because she felt that “cheesy was very necessary” in this kind of routine.
BJ & Kat danced a Godfather inspired Foxtrot to “The Godfather” theme choreographed by Leeanne Bampton.
Jason G thought it was “probably one of the best displays of foxtrot technique” he’d ever seen in the competition. The “lifts were effortless” and it was “beautifully danced”. Given Kat & BJ are just 18 and 19, Matt thought the “sophistication on the stage was A-mazing”. They had an “elegance” and he got “the dreaminess of it”.
Round 2
Amy & Timomatic seemed to be a good pair for their second routine. Dancing a Project Moda routine to “Ease on down the road” from musical THE WIZ, with Tim in the role made famous by Michael Jackson. The routine was a mash-up of Hip Hop & Broadway, which were both genres either Tim or Amy had background in.
Matt had been worried whether Tim & Amy would gel but they had been “fantastic”. “MJ would be very proud” of Tim and Amy was going to have a “very long career” because she was “just brilliant”. Bonnie said Amy told a “different story every time she was on the floor” and she felt this was a rare occasion where Tim could relax.
For their second routine, Ben & Talia did a Samba Quickstep fusion by Natalie Lowe to Michael Bublé’s “It had better be tonight”.
After Natalie compared her Swishy Dress to Talia’s and exclaiming ‘Look! We Match!’, The Judges gave their thoughts.
Bonnie said they “just hit it”, that Ben had a beautiful body line and that they had great eye contact. Jason C thought Talia had done more tonight that he thought she was capable of and that she was “ramping up and up and up”. He said Ben had been a great partner and wanted the audience to understand that was a huge compliment.
Jason G said Ben had done heel leads in the Samba and toe leads in the Quickstep when it should have been vice versa. He disagreed with Bonnie, feeling they hadn’t maintained eye contact and that it had been a bit “cruiseship-ish”. Matt said it was “at the top of the Richter scale” in entertainment and they were “both on the train to the finale”. “Oo-ah-Tahlia” went her cheer squad.
Charlie & Gianne turned on the bizarre factor as ‘monsters’ complete with crazy wigs in an unbelievably intricate Hip Hop routine by Supple to Broadway Project’s The Wobble (Orange advert).
Jason C again reminded us of the pressures the couple had been under and thought Charlie was fantastic. “You’ve delivered, fella”. The “actor within the dancer” had served Gianne well and they’d both done a “great job”.
Matt said Charlie had been “absolutely brilliant”, Gianne was “fantastic” and that this was the routine that would make the audience remember them as a couple. Bonnie said the unison was perfect, that Charlie was “so getting it” and she had “always been a lover of Gianne”.
BJ & Kat took to the arena with a Circus inspired, comedic Jazz routine, choreographed by Jason C’s teacher, Sue Ellen Shook, to Fatboy Slim’s “Wonderful night”.
Jason G thought it was another great performance even if the last lift had him on the edge of his seat and was thinking they might ‘have a disaster’. He’d have preferred Kat in high heels but BJ was his “new favourite boy in the competition”. Matt thought Kat was “cute” but he’d like to have seen her go a little further and they had been “a little slow on the spinner”. He also thought BJ’s fake moustache was a good look.
Bonnie said Kat was “so good and getting better” but she could let go a little more. BJ was a “great partner” and everything he did was “first class”. Jason C told Kat to push harder and extend herself because her competition were fierce and gorgeous. He said the problem with their grip change had been that they had stopped spinning but that was their only mistake.
Topping the show off was the Girls group routine, in a controversial and risqué style known as ‘Dancehall’ , Choreographed by Tiana Joubert to Sean Paul’s “Watch dem roll”.
Matt said the problem with Dancehall was that it could look “hoochy” and that he liked it only in moderation. He also felt their search for aggression had put out their unison and that Kat had been the pick of the ladies. Bonnie decided to judge purely on personality, and on that basis Amy was the best.
Jason C totally agreed with Matt. He wasn’t a fan of watching girls do that for 2 mins and that Kat been the best dancer because she stayed in the centre of the beat. Jason G was still blushing but the stand out for him was Gianne because she was “so natural and easy”.
After another amazing show where the dancers pulled through despite having an exhausting week where the competition was ‘Shaken to the core’, who would be Dancing for their life on Monday night?
Monday night saw the Top 8 Performing another group routine by Jason G, and then the b4 was revealed. It was Kat & Gianne for the Girls, & BJ & Timomatic from the Guys.
After the break Kaiser Chiefs performed their new single, ‘Don’t Miss A Beat’. Folowing that the B4 danced what could be their last solos of the competition. Timomatic received by far the greatest reception from the audience, they went nuts.
The Australian Ballet company performed a routine, Then it was down to business. It was a bit like Déjà vu as this week mirrored last week’s decision and Gianne was going home while Kat was through to the Top 6. Natalie & The Judges congratulated her though and she was presented with a bunch of flowers in a touching moment for being such a trouper and coming back to the competition.
After that it was the Guys turn. Despite giving his best solo yet and that massive crowd reaction, Timomatic was going home tonight.
After the break the Top 6 picked their new partners for the final time in the competition, and here are the results:
BJ & Talia
Charlie & Kat
Ben & Amy
Now were really getting down to the pointy end. In a few short weeks, we’ll be crowning the winner of SYTYCDA 2009 after an electrifying finale. Be Watching 7:30 This Sunday Night to see how the Top 6 Fare as they make their bid to get to the Top 4 and this Year’s Finale of SYTYCDA!
March 25th, 2009 2:36 pm
The game shifts to individual judging and new partners every week as we reach our Top 10 Performance show.
Amy & BJ click together as a new couple.
“That was ‘smokin sh*t hot’, but don’t over-act please.”
Everyone was excited to see how the Dancers would fare now the game has shifted to more individual judging and new partners every week as we reached our Top 10 Performance show.
Nat Bass opened the show and asked the Judges if it was a relief to hand over the power to the Australian Public, and we were off.
First up was Amy who partnered BJ this week – her third partner in three weeks – for a Futuristic Hip Hop routine choreographed by SYTYCD first-timer Etienne Khoo to “Dance wiv me” by Dizzee Rascal & Calvin Harris.
Matt wasn’t surprised BJ had “killed that” because was he was so “strong and versatile”. Bonnie thought they had “great chemistry”.
Jason loved the Tutting, and the “fantastic unison” and thought they’d done a “brilliant job” – even if Amy still looked a little like “a Jazz dancer in a Hip Hop routine”.
Second to perform were Gianne & Loredo in a Sarah Boulter contemporary routine that had them playing gangsters to Max Sledgely’s remix of the “Peter Gunn” theme.
Bonnie thought it was a “really difficult” routine, but Jason disagreed and didn’t think it was very hard at all because it had fewer beats than most routines, which meant they had to be totally committed. He felt Gianne had done that but that Loredo in his own genre hadn’t pushed himself hard enough.
Charlie Teamed up with Talia and worked with Ballroom master choreographer Jason Gilkison, with a Quickstep to Amy Winehouse’s “Valerie” that had them starting in the audience.
Matt’s “guts almost jumped into my mouth” when Charlie tripped at the beginning but he’d covered it well. Talia was “such a contender in this competition”.
Bonnie had been worried about Charlie being paired with a technician like Talia but she believed that he had “met her”.
Australia were set to ‘Embrace the Penny’ in a whole new way seeing her dance for the first time with a new partner, who this week was Ben.
They danced a Cameron Mitchell Broadway Jazz piece to “If you hadn’t but you did” from TWO ON THE AISLE. Ben’s challenge was to dance while acting dead.
Matt felt Penny’s lack of acting experience showed here, feeling she hadn’t found the character, while Ben was totally in his world. He thought Ben would totally get the part if they were casting “Six Feet Under – The Musical”. Jason said Penny had missed the gunshot at the opening and that she “hadn’t found the actor in the dancer”. Ben meanwhile had pulled it off because he’d simply played a “Broadway version of himself”.
United after both losing their partners last week, Kat and Timomatic tackled a tricky tribal African Samba routine by Sandro Catalano to “Iko Iko” by The Belle Stars.
Bonnie thought Timomatic had been “such a gentleman”. He just needed to be more accurate with his feet. She liked the fact Kat was able to play a character, wearing a red wig. Jason found it hard to adjudicate because “the costumes clashed with the music clashed with the steps”.
Round 2
Second time up kicking off the second half of the night, Amy and BJ were right in their genre with a Lyrical Contemporary piece by Marko Panzic to Beyonce’s “Halo”.
Jason “loved it, loved it, loved it” and it was “my favourite routine so far”.
Matt loved Amy’s “crazy” layout and BJ’s pirouettes were just “amazing”. In his opinion, they’d had “a moment”. Bonnie thought it was “a match made in heaven”, and it was also her “favourite number of the night”.
Gianne & Loredo had a hard task in bringing enough Hip Hop out of a genre mish-mashed routine by Travers Ross to Counting Crows “Mr Jones”.
However they didn’t quite live up to what the Judges expected.
Matt wasn’t sure they had pulled off the choreographers “brave” vision. The style “didn’t sit” on Gianne and Loredo “went too far” with his character. Jason said “it wasn’t good enough”. There was “nothing Hip Hop about it”, “the acting wasn’t coming from truth”, and it was their “low point of the competition”.
Charlie & Talia came back onstage with an abstract contemporary piece by Australian Dance Theatre’s Larissa McGowan to “The Battery” by Boyz Noize.
Bonnie gave the surprise line of the night – it was “smokin’ shit hot” – and a “brilliant combination”.
Jason thought Talia had an “amazing line” and was an “incredible beautiful technician”. He thought Charlie might have been outdanced but “you owned that”. Matt thought Talia had “the most attack” he’d seen and Charlie had been a “forklift” – but a “dancing forklift”. The choreographer had been lucky to get two great technicians.
Jason Gilkison got another chance to shine by giving Ben & Penny one of the most beautiful routines of the Season, decked out in Wedding attire, they danced a bridal foxtrot to Frankie Knuckles’ soft, serene remix of Michael Jackson’s “Rock with you”.
Jason “latched onto it” from the moment Penny walked past Ben, and thought they had danced it “beautifully”.
For Bonnie, it had matched Amy & BJ’s routine for her favourite routine of the night. Jason added that, like Fred & Ginger, they’d made it look “effortless”.
Kat & Timomatic finished the night by bringing the ‘running man’ dance move back as Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf – in a fun routine by the quirky Project Moda to “Killjoy” by N.E.R.D.
Matt thought it was “a really cute concept” and “fantastic”. Bonnie thought there was a little too much chasing at the beginning but Jason disagreed. He was glad that they’d “got to do something that really popped”.
The Theme of the Night seemed to be when playing a character in a routine, how hard to play and act the part was a talking point. It was going to be harder than ever to pick who was going home with The Australian Public in the driver’s seat.
Monday saw the Results being given by Nat to the Dancers grouped into the Guys & Girls. The Bottom 4 would then Dance for their life, although it wasn’t going to sway any votes, it was just to show why they were there in the Top 10. B2 Girls were Gianne & Kat, B2 Guys, Loredo & Timomatic.
Musical Guests The Fray Performed their #1 Hit, ‘You Found Me’, then the B4 Showed us how far they’d come. After the Break, Gianne & Loredo were sent home and Nat gauged the Judges thoughts. Bonnie was a bit upset for them but thought it was a great achievement to make it into the Top 10. Matt noted it was actually ‘much worse’ not being in control of who went home from here on in.
The Top 8 then Picked their partners For next week live onstage. Penny picked Ben, but that wasn’t allowed, so she drew again – and was reunited with Charlie! The rest were different and had never danced together before. Talia Picked Ben – which left the remaining two couples having to swap partners, BJ got Kat, and Timomatic was left dancing with Amy next week. Get set for another amazing night of Dancing this Sunday at 7:30 on Channel Ten!
March 18th, 2009 12:37 pm
Danny & Kat danced a powerful Pasa Doble routine.
‘Like ‘Whoa’, did you just have a ‘Unison’ ‘Moment’ and drop the J-Word?’
Sunday Night saw the last chance for our Top 12 to make it into the much-wanted spots in the Top 10, dancing not one, but two routines. It was also the last time the couples would be dancing with each other for a while, when the competition starts looking at individuals and couples are changed every week from here on in.
Nat Bass opened the show Dressed in silver with her hair in a bun, and introduced our Judges, who tonight were joined by Choreographer Kelley Abbey.
And we were off!
Having won last week’s McDonalds moment, Talia & Loredo opened the night. After some confusion as to what ‘World’ dance entailed, their answer came when they discovered they were dancing a Ramona Lobo Bollywood routine to to “Jai Ho” from the Oscar winning movie Slumdog Millionaire.
Kelley said she “loves this partnership” and her only criticism was that they needed to “earth” themselves a little more. Matt said “unison is the key” and they’d achieved that – even if Talia’s costume had got caught in one of the lifts. Jason has spent time studying Indian classical dance and said Talia did “a fantastic job of honouring that discipline”.
Next were Kat & Danny with a Sarah Boulter contemporary piece set to Eva Cassidy’s “Over the rainbow”.
Matt said the routine was “all about trust” and he “didn’t see one hint of doubt” in either of them. The “unison was gorgeous” and it was “a highlight for you guys” while Bonnie was “just so wrapped in every single thing” they did.
Jason loved the routine and told Danny that the lifts were much more complex than those he’d struggled with in the disco routine.
Glad to finally be dancing their own genre, Lamb & Timomatic scored a Snakelike ‘Garden of Eden inspired Tiana Joubert Hip Hop routine to Keri Hilson’s “Turnin’ me on”.
Bonnie thought it was “so synchronised” and that Tim “became the snake” but said his backflip of Lamb had caused her to lose her balance. Jason “loved the routine” but disagreed with Bonnie because “the biggest fault was the unison”.
Kelley is a “big fan” of Lamb and Tim but also thought “the unison was the problem”. She had some technical notes for Lamb about stretching her knees and wasn’t sure the routine really “got to where it should have”.
Although it was their 3rd time dancing ballroom Gianne & BJ Shook it up with a Jive choreographed by Sandro Catalano to Metro Station’s “Shake it”.
Jason said Gianne had “sat into it absolutely beautifully”. He felt BJ had “overdanced” but that’s what Ballroom Boys have to do. Kelley said they had “great energy and attack”. Matt said BJ had done a “great job of encompassing the ballroom dancer”.
Bonnie was the lone dissenting voice, saying she “wasn’t so happy actually”. BJ was “totally where you should be” but Gianne’s “chassés weren’t as clean” as she would have liked. “Only OK from me, I’m afraid.”
You could’ve heard a pin drop and cut the silence with a knife when Charlie & Penny took to the floor with a Debbie Ellis Lyrical piece about best friends danced to Damien Rice’s “Elephant”.
Kelley “just loved that” because “it really took me somewhere”. Penny was “so not a cheerleader” and Charlie – or “Chucky Cheese” – was “a hot contender in this competition”. Matt said they had the audience in the palm of your hand” and loved the way they had times when they “smacked it” and times when they “melted”.
Jason said it was a “dancer’s responsibility to evoke emotion and you guys have certainly done that”.
Newly formed couple Ben & Amy concluded round 1 of the night with a Hip Hop routine by Vince Calingasan about a girl playing hard to get in a fairground. The track was “You know what” by N.E.R.D.
Matt had thought the partnership of these 2 great dancers would be hot but he was “underwhelmed”. Its “laid back style “didn’t get to me through the screen”. Bonnie disagreed, saying that she really liked its “relaxed feel”.
Jason had one word for the routine: “pedestrian”. It had been too “middle of the road” and had “gone nowhere”. Kelley thought they were both “very strong confident” dancers and she liked the “cas” style but it “needed light and shade” to really resonate.
For the record I totally disagree, I thought that while laid-back, it did have a few moments that it hit really nicely.
Round 2
The second half of the show kicked off with Loredo & Talia dancing a Lyrical Jazz routine choreographed by Amé Delves to Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” that reinvented the Rapunzel fairy tale.
I thought the way the track was mixed really helped the choreography shine and hit the gold moments hard, creating what could be the routine of the season so far it was that epic.
Bonnie said it was “totally magical” and loved the special moment where Talia landed on top of Loredo. Jason “loved it” and had no separate notes because you “danced so beautifully together”. Kelly said Talia had shown “emotional maturity” and Loredo had shown “more emotion” than he ever had before. It was “just fantastic”.
Matt said last week that Talia & Loredo were yet to have a moment. “Moment had”. He said this was a routine Australia would remember, with his one technical note to Loredo to not let his knee drop during attitude turns. “But there’s your moment, guys. Congratulations!”
Kat and a dark-haired Danny teamed up for a powerful Ballroom routine in the form of the Pasa Doble – choreographed by Aric and Mascha to “Burly Brawl” by Juno Reactor vs Don Davis.
Jason thought Danny did a “great job of encompassing the Paso Doble character” but Kat hadn’t “brought the fire” with her eyes. Kelley felt Danny’s training had his energy sitting in the top half of his body when he needed to “get earthed” a lot more.
Matt said Kat had lots of energy but needed to extend her lines. Danny was “strong” but this “was not your greatest performance”. Bonnie again disagreed, thinking that Kat was “absolutely fantastic” and Danny was “proud and regal’. I Agree with Bonnie.
Timomatic teamed with Lamb for their second routine of the night in a Viennese Waltz by Leeanne Bampton to Coldplay’s “Sparks”.
Kelley said they’d achieved the “float” but it was “a bit exposing” for Lamb because her flat shoes had emphasised her unpointed feet. For a self-taught dancer, Tim had done “an incredible job”. Matt thought that in coming out of a lift Lamb had had “an ugly moment”.
Bonnie thought Timomatic had struggled with the ¾ time. Lamb was an “expert dancer” but was concerned about moments that “didn’t look extremely elegant”. Jason thought Lamb would be “disappointed” in her Developpe and she needed to point her feet. But Tim had done a much better job in the Waltz than Charlie.
An emotional Lamb said she wanted to continue the ‘journey’ but kept “stuffing up little things”. Matt told her if it was any consolation maybe to become a better dancer she needed to experience the lows to get to the highs, and also used the ‘J Word’ – ‘Journey’.
Next up Gianne & BJ played a housewife having a fling with her accountant in choreography by Adam Williams, dancing a highly theatrical Broadway Jazz routine to “Arthur in the afternoon” by David Loud & Karen Ziémba.
Matt said it was “one of my favourite routines of the night”. Gianne was “just a chameleon” and BJ was “such a strong dancer” who totally fitted into Broadway. Jason said “that’s entertainment”. He didn’t’ even notice the dancing because he was so with Gianne’s character. Kelley said they’d done a “fantastic job” but that towards the end she’d seen them thinking “here comes the tricky bit”. “But the rest of it was just fabulous.”
Charlie & Penny were ecstatic to finally get a go at the Hip Hop genre. But according to the Judges in this Hip Hop routine by Yannus to 50 Cent’s “Get up” they slipped up.
Jason said “there was very little unison”, and that either Charlie had overdanced or Penny had underdanced. Kelley is a big fan of them both but the “unison was out” so it “didn’t fire”. Charlie was “really good” but she wanted “more pop” from Penny.
Matt thought they’d done “extraordinary work” to this point, but that this was their “first downfall”. They’d “come unstuck” and made it look like “hard work”.
I disagree again, I thought the Unison issues were minimal by virtue of the pace of the routine – even in slow mo replay. The Steps flowed into one another cleanly with all the writhing around they had to do on the floor and overall looked very cool.
Last routine of the night was Amy & Ben. This time they danced an incredibly complex, frenetic Mambo by Fabio Robles to “Para Los Rumberos” by Tito Puente.
Jason said “the degree of difficulty on that routine was up there” and felt it should be like the Olympics where their scores were multiplied to reflect their achievement. Kelley agreed it was incredibly difficult and that they’d stayed “pretty clean”. Matt thought that “if anyone left in our Top 12 could have pulled that off, it could only have been you two”. Bonnie thought they did it “expertly”.
With this season being so hard to call, I’m betting the Judges are glad the power is shifted totally into Australia’s hands next week. Who would make the cut into the Top 10?
Monday saw the Top 14 doing another group routine choreographed by Kelly Abbey. It had a Jazzy feel and featured several feathers that formed a Peacock structure at the end.
Then Came the Announcement of who was in the Bottom 3, and who our first inductees into this year’s Top 10 were. Loredo & Talia, and Ben & Amy were up first. Natalile put Ben & Amy Through, but then blew away Loredo & Talia by telling them they were through as well! Next the final 4 Couples awaited their verdict. Fan Favorites Penny & Charlie were through, Leaving the remaining couples BJ & Gianne, Kat & Danny, and Lamb & Timmomatic to Dance for their lives.
Wes Carr Performed his new single ‘Feels Like Woah’, then The B6 Danced for their life. The Judges went to deliberate for the final time this season, then we were treated to an acrobatic routine by a dance company.
It was time to reveal who was going Home. The guys up first, BJ was sent through, then it was between Danny & Timomatic.
In a heart wrenching non-unanimous decision, Jason announced Danny would be going home tonight. Then to the girls. Gianne went through first, leaving Kat & Lamb to await the Judges Decision. Again it was both-so-good hard decision, but in the end Lamb was going home tonight.
So there you have it! Our Top 10 for this season! After the break in a first for dance Nat made the Guys pick out of a top hat their new partners for Top 10 Week. The New couples are:
Charlie & Talia
BJ & Amy
Ben & Penny
Loredo & Gianne
Timmomatic & Kat
It’s getting down to the wire now that we’re on the home stretch. Be watching Next Sunday as we get to see 10 new routines from 5 brand new pair-ups. Should be fantastic!
March 10th, 2009 1:19 pm
This Week on ‘Dance’, the Top 14 were in for an interesting night with Guest Judge from the US Mary ‘Hot Tamale Train’ Murphy screeching in to watch the performances.
Penny steals the show again.
This Week on ‘Dance’, the Top 14 were in for an interesting night with Guest Judge from the US Mary ‘Hot Tamale Train’ Murphy screeching in to watch the performances.
Natalie opened the show and Purple seems to be her colour this season, with another stunning outfit.
Also visiting from the US this week was Dan Karaty, a Jazz Choreographer famous on the US series, who Choreographed the First routine of the Night, By Amy & Damien to Pink’s hit ‘So What’.
With a storyline of being left at the altar, Mary said “athletic” Amy was “a star out there” and couldn’t believe “strong” Damien was a ballroom dancer. “Good on you!”, she said, slipping into the local lingo.
Jason Spotted a Wardrobe issue with Amy’s dress, but said she “made it work” and “that’s what I love about you”. However, they’d “lost unison” in places and he encouraged Damien to bring more control to his performance.
Timomatic & Lamb were next with a heartfelt & moving Contemporary piece choreyed by Dana Jolly to Regina Specktor’s ‘Real Love’.
Matt found it “sweet” but wanted “more highs and lows”. He also would have liked more dancing from Timomatic who’d been little more than a “forklift”., with the routine requiring a staggering 17 lifts in total. Bonnie had felt “real love” because they were “so together” and had sensed “hesitation” in only one lift.
After 3 weeks of Ballroom & contemporary themed dance genres, Gianne & BJ got the chance to show a whole other side when they got BJ’s favorite style of Hip Hop.
Choreographed by Tiana Joubert to the Britney Spears track ‘Toy Soldier’, the Military-inspired routine was a hit with the audience.
Bonnie couldn’t believe it was really Gianne in that camo costume and thought BJ was “solid” and “sharp”. Jason loved the top of the routine because Gianne had “taken ownership” and thought they had “oodles” of versatility and likeability”. Mary would have been “screaming at the top of my lungs” but there were “a couple of places where it wasn’t synchronised”. Matt always expects BJ to give “a solid performance” but Gianne was “the star” because she “hit that so hard”.
Crowd favorites Penny & Charlie were up next with a Viennese Waltz by Jason Gilkison to Whitney Houston’s power ballad ‘I Have Nothing’.
Jason said Penny was “as soft and lovely and beautiful” as her frock and Charlie had handled it “absolutely beautifully” except he had “stepped” rather than “floated”. They were both “serious contenders in this competition”. Ballroom queen Mary said they “portrayed it just right” even if the technique “wasn’t completely there”.
Bonnie started to give her critique whilst Penny’s left eye struggled to stay open at various points of the verdict rather comically, and Bonnie thought she was crying but it turned out Penny had mascara in her eye and soon everyone was laughing along as Bonnie struggled to finish her thoughts on the routine.
Ben & Pania had a challenging routine by Aleeta Blackburn set to the Kings of Leon track ‘Crawl’.
Mary said “the beginning was sheer genius” even “if the energy did die a little” later. Pania was “fierce” and “sexy” while Ben had “nailed it”.
Bonnie and Jason had a very different take, both sensing that Pania hadn’t entirely committed to the routine. Jason believed she “hadn’t trusted” her choreographer and felt like she was “apologising” while she was dancing. However, Ben was “a great partner and fantastic performer”.
Next up was a comedic take on hip hop choreyed by Nacho Pop, and saw Kat playing a cheeky ‘victim’ to Danny, who played the Heath ledger inspired role of The Joker.
Matt said Danny had “flipped” last time he was out of genre but this time he’d been “gung ho”. Jason’s biggest problem was the unison, while Mary said Danny had “won me over” while Kat got the full-blooded Mary scream because “you just do it” and “you do it with excellence”.
Last to dance was the Newly formed couple of Loredo & Talia, dancing a Salsa routine choreographed by Luda & Oliver to The Potbelleez’ ‘Trouble Trouble’, which brought the house down with it’s spins & lifts, and earned Talia in particular a ride on Mary’s ‘Hot Tamale Train’ accompanied by her trademark scream.
Matt felt they were both yet to have “a moment” in the show and hoped they might soon get that opportunity. Bonnie said they looked like they’d been “working together for weeks”, whilst Jason felt Talia had done “what many ballet dancers can’t do” and that she was “a remarkable young dancer”.
After an amazing night of dance, there was one more surprise – For our lovely Nat. . Jason congratulated host Natalie Bassingthwaighte on her debut solo album “1000 Stars” going #1 and Matt Lee came on stage to present her with Gold and Platinum records. Way to go, Nat!
It was still neck & neck in the competition, so who was going home?
Monday night saw the Top 14 open with a contemporary routine that saw them all ‘being so individual but also coming together as one’, as described by the Judges.
Mary Murphy dropped a bombshell that another prize was being added this season – The winner getting to dance on the US series of Dance, which surprised our dancers. Nat also mentioned there would be more prizes revealed as we headed to our Top 10.
Bottom 3 Couples were Lamb & Timmomatic, Amy & Damien, & Ben & Pania.
Kaz James & Macy Gray performed their Hit ‘Can’t Hold Back’, then the B6 danced for their lives.
With the Judges forced to make another tough decision, tonight they opted to look at what style choices the dancers made in their solos, which unfortunately meant Pania & Damien, who had shown a little too much of what we have already seen from them, went home this week.
So now were down to our Top 12, and that means only one more week before the ultimate decision of who goes home is out of the Judges hands. Also to add to that Next week our Top 12 will perform 2 Routines each, so there’s double the chance to show what they’re made of to get into the Top 10.
March 4th, 2009 1:34 pm
The top 16 took to the floor in what has become a neck & neck competition.
Pania and Ben 'Get Ghetto' with the Krump.
Previously on Dance:
Last Monday Night, the Top 18 Dancers performed a shimmy-esque Jason Gilkison routine to Shakira’s ‘Objection (Tango)’. Cassie Davis Performed ‘Like It Loud’ and the dancers had to choose between possibly the best Male dance for your life we’ve seen yet between Timomatic, Loredo & Stephen. In the end Stephen’s ‘Bicycle’ wasn’t enough and He went home alongside partner Ash-Leigh from the girls B3 which also featured Lamb & Chanelle.
Sunday Night the Top 16 took to the floor in what has become a neck & neck competition. Nat Bass opened the show in a Purple dress with a bow off-shoulder that made her look much like a present all wrapped up.
First up was Loredo & Chanelle, who again were dancing outside their genres. Chanelle wondered if she was starting to become typecast having to ‘be sexy again’ in the Andrew Sears ‘Aladdin & his Genie’ themed routine to the Pussycat Dolls ‘Bottle Pop’.
Matt didn’t think being sexy could be difficult for Chanelle when she was “so gorgeous”. However he wanted her to stop thinking and lose herself while Loredo had “hit everything” ”. A couple of moments of unison troubled Jason however, and he felt Chanelle might have been pushing too hard. He said her partner had a lot of “performance mojo” and that she should be careful he didn’t outdance her. “Loredo, you owned that!”
Next up Penny & Charlie got the chance to show their softer side with a Kelly Aykers Contemporary routine to The Fray’ #1 Hit ‘You Found Me’. What was so entrancing about the routine was the fact They danced without physically touching one another until the very end of the routine, Weaving in and around each other seamlessly throughout.
Bonnie thought their floorwork was “beautiful” and felt “quite choked” with emotion. Penny was “so not just a cheergirl” Matt “totally felt it” and said this couple hadn’t failed once.
Having won last week’s McDonalds ‘Moment’, BJ & Gianne took to the floor with a Csaba Szirmai-choreographed Salsa. Jason could see his own determination in BJ’s eyes but felt that the young dancer had harnessed it well. He thought it “fabulous – up until the last 10 secs” when the final, complicated, lift seemed “laboured”. Matt totally agreed, feeling the style suited Gianne and she kept getting routines that suited her, but he’d crossed his fingers during the lift.
Kat & Danny had to play serious as look-alike assassins in a routine by Marko Panzic to “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes.
Matt felt Kat had succeeded in taking on the character but for Danny to do well in his own genre he would need to be exceptional – fortunately he was. ”. Jason wondered whether Danny had overbalanced on the ponche but said they’d had “great commitment to a great routine”.
Emmanuel & Talia had to turn on the Comedy this week in a Broadway Jazz routine by Adam Williams to a number from ‘Hot Shoe Shuffle’.
Bonnie found it “really expressive”. She warned Emmanuel that he had to “watch those counts” but his “comedy and flair” more than compensated. Talia was “the loveliest dancer” but Bonnie wanted more “face” Jason thought Emmanuel had “crossed a line” and was no longer just a b-boy. He also felt highly-trained Talia needed to be acknowledged for having to work with untrained Emmanuel.
Between performances, Nat took time out to chat to Last Year’s winner Jack Chambers & 3rd place Kate, who were in the audience. Last year’s champion revealed he now had an apartment in New York and would be moving there to live – and fulfil his dream – in April. Nat also revealed that our guest judge next week would be original Hot Tamale train driver, Mary Murphy, and they engaged in a short ‘scream off’ before the next performance.
Next up were Amy & Damien. In the Jason Gilkison Choreographed Rumba routine to Duffy’s ‘Stepping Stone’, everyone would have thought it was Damien’s routine to shine, but Amy stepped up to the plate.
Jason C declared Jason G “a genius” for an “amazing” routine about an addictive love that didn’t leave a dry eye in the house. He took Damien to task for saying he was “just an 18 year old boy” and said he’d been outdanced in his own genre. Bonnie thought the routine “was in a class of its own” and “just the best ever”. She was “entranced” by Amy and disagreed with Jason’s assessment of Damien. She had seen a man not a boy. Matt thought the routine was “Wow … wow … wow … wow-wow-wow-wow-wow” and that for Amy this was her “defining moment”.
Pania & Ben drew the famous style of ‘Krump’ this week, and while it was right up Pania’s alley, How would Ben fare?
With Nacho Pop choreography to Petey Pablo’s ‘Show Me The Money’, Pania had said she wanted to hit like the boys and Matt said she had. He’d been nervous for Ben but he’d risen up and “got ghetto” on him. Bonnie felt Ben had grown “a new skin” and “reinvented” himself while Pania had given Australia an opportunity to get to know her better. Jason said their unison was “fantastic” and said that Ben physically had looked like a different person. It had been a “Nacho routine that went Pop”.
Last routine of the night was Lamb & Timomatic, with a Jazz routine by Squared Division to Kelly Clarkson’s “My life would suck without you”.
Matt said this made it 8 fantastic routines on the night. Lamb was “really impressing” him even if she did have some technical flaws. Bonnie felt Lamb was putting the effort in but that it wasn’t necessarily coming across. She identified some technical flaws for her but felt Tim was “doing so good”. Jason said they had delivered a “Hip Hop Jazz” but that just showed they were putting themselves into everything they did.
Just who would go with the quality of dance being so close on only week 3?
Monday Night saw the Dancers open with an african trbe voodoo-esque routine to Kevin Rudolf’s hip-hop hit, ‘Let It Rock’.
Lily Allen Performed her new single from her #1 Album, ‘It’s Not Me Its You’, ‘The Fear’, before the B3 couples, Loredo & Chanelle, Emmanuel & Talia, & BJ & Gianne, danced for their lives. After another Dance company routine, the verdict was in. Being so close and hard to choose again meant some small weaknesses in the solos drew their decision to Chanelle & Emmanuel going home.
We now have our Top 14, and with Guest Judge Mary Murphy returning on Sunday Night, it’s going to be a blast!
February 23rd, 2009 2:06 pm
It was another great night of dancing when the top 18 performed.
Previously on Dance: The Top 20 Results show saw the Top 20 perform an electrifying opening Group routine by Kelley Abbey to Fedde Le Grand Feat. Ida Corr’s ‘Let Me Think About It’. Sam Sparro Performed alongside the Top 20, The Sydney Dance Company performed a piece; Bottom 3 Couples Stephen/Ash-Leigh, Damien/Amy & Jesse/Max, with Jesse & Max going home after one ‘Not Unanimous’ decision by the judges and a quick verdict on the other.
Last Night we were treated to an Encore of said group routine before we welcomed our Top 18 with the usual ‘Here are the girls, and Here are the Guys’ opening intro by Nat Bass, who said she was trying to go for the ‘Wilma Flintstone’ look with her attire tonight.
She introduced the Judges, tonight including Guest Judge choreographer Jason Gilkison. Matt Lee wondered whether the Dancers would followc up well the amzing show they had last week.
And with that, we were off to the First routine. Kat & Danny had a sombre routine last week, this week they chose Jazz, with a ‘Disco’ Flavour, choreographed by Aleeta Blackburn, so they were definitely ready to shake their stuff.
Dancing to Katy Perry’s ‘Hot ‘N Cold’, Guest judge Jason Gilkison felt they had “the most difficult job” this week but he’d “enjoyed every second of it”. Bonnie Thought Danny looked unhappy with his performance but Danny denied and explained it was probably the pressure. Jason C however could see some preparation in their faces when Lifts were coming up in the routine.
February 16th, 2009 2:44 pm
It was the moment we’d all been waiting for. This year’s Top 20 took to the stage for the first live performance show of the season.
Nat Bass looked stunning in a silver dress, and introduced us to our Judges, how the show works for any new viewers, and we were off!
One of the interesting parts about the first show is who the Default pairings will be. First up was Hip-Hop chick Pania, who chose a random dance style out of the hat (Contemporary), and met her Partner, Professional jazz dancer Ben.
Choreographed by 2008 Top 20 Finalist, Marko, They kicked off 2009 with a blast dancing to The Preset’s ‘Talk Like That’. One thing I’m glad about is that somebody at Ten read my mind and now the Artist and song title pop up bottom-screen, ala the US Version, something that was missing last year.
Matt said it was a “fantastic start” and great to see a contemporary routine that wasn’t “sad and soppy”. I agree, we really needed an up-tempo number to start the show in my opinion.
Next up was ballerina Talia and Hip-hopper Emmanuel from Orange stepping far outside their ‘World’ with a Jason Gilkison Cha-Cha routine, and doing a decent job. Bonnie found Emmanuel to be “Cha-cha-charming” and commended the “gorgeous” Talia on her “neat” footwork.
February 13th, 2009 2:12 pm
With the Auditions Finishing up Last Wednesday Night, we launched into The Top 100 Week on Sunday Night.
With the Auditions Finishing up Last Wednesday Night, we launched into The Top 100 Week on Sunday Night.
First off the Surprises came thick and fast with US Judge and Format creator of Dance Nigel Lythgoe Jetting in to Help Judge during the week and help select the Top 20 for this season.
Then it was onto the first routine. Kelly Abbey set the Dancers off on a Jazzy number from ‘West Side Story’, with Last Year’s Winner Jack and 3rd Place Kate demonstrating how it’s done.
Next Up was a Hip Hop Routine by resident Pop & Lock Choreographer Nacho Pop. This time the routine was demonstrated by 2008 runner-up Rhys and everybody’s favorite B-Girl from last year, fourth place Demi. Still this year’s dancers picked the moves up pretty well.
Throughout the process, Dancer by dancer were whittled down and several were told to prove why they were still there in the ‘Dance for your life’ Section. We were certainly getting to the business end, as several characters and personalities they had been focusing on went home, Such as Forever, who I raved about last post.
The Next routine was a Contemporary number. I forget the choreographer’s name, but it was done to 90’s Hit ‘Seven Seconds’. This time around the dancers were starting to feel the pressure of picking up the moves; however there were some who picked it up quite well.
February 5th, 2009 2:46 pm
The season debuted last Sunday night against the tennis Men’s Final of the Australian Open with ‘Auditions One’, and will continue through The Next two weeks before launching into the performance shows.
Judging from the first episode, and the 5 min ‘sneak peek’ which aired after some shows on TEN last week, and at the beginning of the premiere, the auditions process seems to regain the magic of the first season, with a few added extras.
Once again, the underlying soundtrack is fantastic, and manages to keep a finger on the pulse of great songs to dance to, and also what’s hot right now. From the remix of 90’s dance hit, ‘Everybody’s Free’ in the breathtaking pre-season promos, to this year’s choreography round song, Sam Sparro’s ‘21st Century Life’. Although it probably won’t get as overplayed as last year’s ‘Don’t Stop The Music’ by Rihanna as its not quite as ‘in the moment’ as that was, but still a great song to do choreographer Kelly Aykers reportedly difficult routine of several different dancing styles to, taking over from judge Matt Lee, who did the choreography round last season.
Speaking of the judges, all three (Jason Coleman, Bonnie Lythgoe & Matt Lee) are back and Natalie Bassingthwaighte is well-prepared and ready for her hosting role this year, getting host coaching to improve over the off-season.
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