So You Think You Can Dance season 5

It's still my favorite reality competition show but somehow I haven't found myself as excited about Season 5 of SYTYCD. Nigel has mentioned it on occasion, but there haven't been many breakout personalities and as we're going into the finale next week, I can't really say that there are any dancers that I really LOVE. Last season I was a huge huge fan of Joshua and Katee and Mark and Chelsie and season 3 I was all about Pasha and Sara and Sabra. I recently watched So You Think You Can Dance Canada season 1 and LOVED Vincent and Nico and Allie.

But this season? I think Brandon and Kayla are hugely talented but their personalities aren't the most engaging to me. Phillip and Evan have great personalities but proved to be not as versatile. I think overall my favorites have been Jeanine, Janette, and Ade, but I haven't really been particularly attached to or rooting for anyone. Seeing the four routines from last season on the results show tonight really hit it home...I was so excited to see those routines and those dancers back on the stage. I'm going to the tour again this year but not sure who/what specifically I'll be excited to see.

Also, I feel like the choreography this season has been a little underwhelming, especially in terms of variety. In the Canadian series they debuted quite a few new styles like house, dancehall, African jazz, Go-go, capoeira...some were more successful than others but it was refreshing to break out of the contemporary-jazz-ballroom pattern. This season in the US, they did do an African group routine, the classical ballet (specifically for Melissa though), and the Russian folk dance (that crashed and burned) but nothing else new. And they haven't even done styles that have been regulars in the past like krump, West Coast swing, lindy hop, salsa, mambo...what gives?

Oh and I think I'm kind of over Tabitha and Napoleon. I really loved No Air and Bleeding Love last season but their literal interpretations of music and all the props are just getting old. Hip hop was in a pretty sad state this season overall. I was glad to see Dave Scott and Shane Sparks return but unfortunately they had to choreograph for a lot of the weaker dancers. Can JabbaWockeeZ come and choreograph?? I don't know how hard popping and locking is to learn but their performances are always SICK.

Which brings me to another complaint - the dancers themselves have been kind of a lot of the same. A lot of the specialists were kicked off early so the top 10 was almost entirely contemporary. I know that contemporary dancers tend to be the most versatile and it's harder to expect "street" dancers to pick up other styles (see Phillip) but I guess I was just a little disappointed that there was no Dominic or Gev or Joshua or Twitch or Miles (popper from the Canada series) in the bunch. I know the talent pool can't be controlled though so I guess I can only hope that season 6 brings some more hip-hop/b-boying/ballroom talent.

Of course it hasn't been all bad. Cat is as wonderful as ever, and it's a travesty she was snubbed AGAIN for the Emmy for Best Reality Show Host. Wade Robson came back to do a couple of really great routines, Doriana and Tasty Oreo have actually done some pretty good work for a change, and Travis, Louis Van Amstel, and Stacey Tookey have been welcome additions as choreographers. And of course, in the end, it's still just about a great group of dancers working hard and it's still a thousand times better than American Idol. And it doesn't end here...Canada season 2 starts in August, and then US season 6 in September. Still lots of dancing to come...

observation...

Candace Cameron uhh... Bure? Whatever her name is now. So she's playing a character named Summer on Make it or Break it who is dating Lauren Tanner's dad. If Summer does in fact marry Lauren's dad, she'll become Summer Tanner. DJ Tanner... Summer Tanner... Interesting.

10 things i hate about you... kinda painful

Sigh. Now this is a show I wanted to enjoy... but I really can't. Between the Bianca who isn't popular but so desperately wants to be popular and tries WAY too hard. Especially cuz she's actually pretty and typical popular girl-type but so, so, so desperate... Ugh! Then there's Kat and her obsession with the "bad guy" who really is a horny pretty boy. He's obviously only minorly interested in Kat, because she's a girl, but he's not dangerous in any way and well Kat's seriously obsessed with him. I really should stop watching this... like NOW.

make it or break it -- lovin' it!

I knew I'd get sucked into a teenage drama on gymnastics... but I didn't expect to REALLY, REALLY enjoy it as much as I do. The characters are a great mix, the storylines are unique, and well it just draws me in. Plus all the gymnastics in the background doesn't hurt. And the hot guys. (Some of whom are actually older than me even if they're playing high school boys, *whew!*)

There are surprising returns to the small screen by actresses such as... uh, Candace Cameron something aka DJ Tanner. And Roz from Frasier. Odd, but surprisingly not super strange either. I love that they have character appropriate cars on the show -- Lauren's pushy, power-hungry, money-throwing-around dad drives a hummer; Emily's poor mom drives a beat up station wagon; and I think that Payton's typical soccer-mom mom (Roz) drove a minivan.

I think that they need a show about ice-skating next. :D