<p>Wow, it’s going to be hard this year. So many really great dancers. Looks like they set it up to give most of them something related to what they are used to doing for this round. Can’t really decide a favorite yet.</p>
<p>I always liked Tina Fey, but after watching tonight’s guest judge Megan Mullally, I think I’m obsessed. Every time Megan was on camera, she looked and sounded like the real TF. I wonder if she also does Sarah Palin?</p>
<p>I can not remember an opening top 20 show of SYTYCD that had such solid performances from all 20 dancers. My favorites were Iveta and Nick, Melanie and Marko, Missy and Wadi, and Jordan and Tadd. Tadd and Wadi, the two B-boys, did themselves proud. </p>
<p>Caitlin didn’t seem to be at a disadvantage with having Robert stand-in for the injured Mitchell. She still may be in the bottom along with Mitchell, Clarice, Chris, or Ashley.</p>
<p>Nick kind of flew under the radar up until now, but I really liked him during his audition and during hollywood week. Melanie is sheer perfection. It will be interesting to see if she gets the fan support needed to stay on top each week. She has a different looking face, almost “retro” in nature, that some may not be able to appreciate. </p>
<p>Jess, the broadway specialist, may have some difficulty with some of the lifts needed for dance styles other than broadway. His upper body strength seems to be lacking somewhat. If he sticks around, the choreographers may have to work around this.</p>
<p>It’s shaping up to be a great season!</p>
<p>It sure is! </p>
<p>Boys: I was pleasantly surprised by Jess the broadway guy (he delivered “face” which the judges thought was lacking in auditions – talk about stage presence!) and Nick the tap guy (as the mother of a tapper, I’m not surprised he was able to pick up ballroom so quickly. If there’s one thing tappers know how to do, it’s move their feet). </p>
<p>The b-boys certainly did better than poor Jose last year. They picked up the choreography very well, but their lack of technique is already showing. </p>
<p>I felt sorry for Mitchell. He’ll probably be gone, and the only thing that he’ll be known for is sweating.</p>
<p>Girls: Jordan, Sasha, Missy – amazing. Melanie – mesmerizing. </p>
<p>I thought Ryan “The Cryer” did really well tonight. </p>
<p>The girl who did the go-go number (sorry, still learning names) was hampered by having a partner who doesn’t know technique. I hope to see her paired with someone who’s had some training.</p>
<p>Caitlynn didn’t seem at all comfortable with Mitchell in the one rehearsal they had. I confess I didn’t see much of her performance; I was busy watching Robert, my favorite SYTYCD-er.</p>
<p>Ivetta – hard to know. I felt a little sorry for her during critiques, because her partner got all the raves. It’ll be interesting to see how she does with, say, krumping.</p>
<p>I have never liked any of the ballroom dancers. I don’t really like ballroom. At least the girls are better than the guys…the style makes the guys look skeevy. (But the girls usually do pretty well since they are so used to dancing with a partner.)</p>
<p>There were some fabulous dances last night. Some of those girls are beasts. I always wonder if dancers are hurt in the competition when Nigel says something like “you are the best girl dancer we’ve ever had.” I think maybe the audience doesn’t vote for them, knowing they’ll be saved.</p>
<p>With so many edgy dances, I feel sorry for those who drew the lighter weight dances.</p>
<p>Do you think Ivetta’s age will hamper her in the competition? She’s great at what she does but may seem a little “long in the tooth” when paired with the young guys in different dance styles.
The Marko and Melanie statue dance was beautiful.</p>
<p>It was wonderful to watch Robert again last night!</p>
<p>This is the first time that I’ve watched SYTYCD. Not a dancer (everything I know about dancing, I’ve seen on DWTS–LOL). I can’t tell the difference between contemporary, jazz, lyrical hip hop, Broadway, etc. </p>
<p>But I loved the routines on last night’s show! Those choreographers and dancers were amazing! I especially loved the statues, Pandora’s box, and the Brodway guy.</p>
<p>Sure glad that I don’t have a stake in this show. I couldn’t pick 3 couples to send home!</p>
<p>How can you people stand that highly annoying, loud-mouthed, screaming judge who likes to hear herself talk - at as high of a volume as possible (the one from San Diego of all places)?</p>
<p>If I’m in the room when that show’s on (due to my W) I hit the mute button whenever she starts talking/yelling/screaming (I’m not convinced my W appreciates me doing this). </p>
<p>She really detracts from the show - they should give her the boot.</p>
<p>I agree that she’s way irritating!</p>
<p>^Thank heavens for the invention of the “mute” button. It gets used often when it’s Mary Murphy’s turn to critique. I’m not sure why Nigel Lythgoe, the show’s producer, allows her to ruin his show with her ear-shattering squeals.</p>
<p>I actually feel sorry for the dancers when she screams and acts idiotic. Here are earnest and extremely talented young people who have just busted their you know whats to learn and perform a work of art, and she’s squealing at them. Imagine if the judge did that at a piano competition and the musicians had to listen to that and act like it was fun!</p>
<p>She’s really not that bad… Loosen up a bit and enjoy the show; she rarely speaks for more than 30 seconds anyway. If you actually give her some patience and pay attention to what she has to say, she gives great critiques in ballroom, which is something the show sorely missed last year. As someone who knows a former top-20 competitor on the show, I know that the dancers all appreciate and welcome Mary’s input. We don’t need to critique a perfectly fine reality show (something becoming harder to find these days) into the ground for such stupid reasons.</p>
<p>tarheel, No one said she didn’t know her stuff. We all really enjoy the show, but the enjoyment is lessened with that wail of hers AND it is a huge distraction from her insightful comments. My wife is the saintliest, kindest, and most patient woman on the planet but even she can not stand Mary Murphy’s loud, obnoxious outbursts. She stopped watching the show because of Mary’s schtick.</p>
<p>tarheel: </p>
<p>I find her intolerable. She may be outstanding on the subject of ballroom but her mouth gets in the way. She can’t seem to hold herself back - I think she genuinely enjoys hearing herself scream.</p>
<p>I’m not knocking the dancers, her screeching has nothing to do with their dancing ability. I do knock the show in that whoever produces it tolerates having her on it. Other than that I think the show is fine and I’m glad the dancers get the exposure and experience of being on it - including your friend.</p>
<p>It’s not a ‘stupid reason’ at all for me to dislike the experience of her being on the show screaming away at the top of her lungs. It looks like I’m not the only one who doesn’t enjoy her antics but if you can stand to sit through her voice without hitting the mute button then good for you.</p>
<p>If my H were typing, he would agree with the mute button response to Mary Murphy. While I am able to tolerate the high pitched noises she can make, my husband absolutely goes bonkers; it actually puts him in a bad mood. I also cannot carry a tune to save my life, and my H has a pretty good ear, so maybe there is a perfect pitch conflict? She surely would not be able to scream like that on a music or singing reality show as she would devastate too many sensitive ears, but since dancing requires high energy, emotion and physical enthusiasm, her energetic and emotional screams are just a natural side affect. Sorry for those of you that are affected like my H … I see for myself that it is really uncomfortable for him and I understand.</p>
<p>I just started watching and that woman IS obnoxious. Unfortunately I was working on a stained glass project, so I couldn’t keep the mute button nearby. I wondered why no one mentioned how awful she is on this thread!</p>
<p>I hate the shriek, but she is so often the only one who gives specific, technical feedback. Tyce is useless as a judge, Lil C is a blathering fool who strings random words together, and Mia Michaels either gets really emotional or really down on someone without being very specific. Has Wade Robson ever been a SYTYCD judge?</p>
<p>Either she simply can’t help herself or she and the producers somehow think her shrieks add value to the show so she’s encouraged to continue doing it. I think she only detracts from what otherwise might be fine credentials she possesses or her actual perspective as ‘arabrab’ stated. Besides people hitting the mute button as I do and missing whatever she might have to say, I’m sure there are some people who simply no longer watch the show at all because of how annoying she is and that’s a shame. </p>
<p>The producers should get her to tone it down or replace her regardless of how knowledgable she is in the field. Or maybe I’m wrong and their ratings are better the louder she shrieks - who knows?</p>
<p>Getting back to the show…</p>
<p>You make all 7 dancers on the bubble dance, then you make 2 of the guys dance one more time, and then you announce that no one is getting cut after all?!! What’s THAT about, oh SYTYCD veterans?</p>
<p>Elle … all I could figure was that they were going to do that anyway to give us another week to get to know them, but they had to use the full time slot and that’s how they chose to do it. I know who I would have sent home, and it wasn’t in the first 5 that did their solos. The guy that was injured and danced for his life is a beautiful dancer … I’m not a dancer at all, but it did seem on his re-dance that he pulled back on one or two moves just slightly, as if something still hurt, so he clearly needs another week to mend. I would have axed the girl on the far left - curly dark hair and the broadway guy. But, let’s see what happens next week. I hope someone surprises me, but in general the top 20 seems incredibly strong this year.</p>