SYTYCD Top 6: One person’s review

So yes, I am a big So You Think You Can Dance fan… I prefer to call it a guilty pleasure, right up there with those “Top 100” shows on VH1 (Top 100 Songs from the ’90s!; Top 100 One Hit Wonders!) and Kelly Clarkson.

Last night was the Top 6. Overall, this has been a really solid season – I don’t think I’ve been as emotionally invested in any of the dancers as I’ve been in the past (like I said, guilty pleasure), but everyone can really dance.

So without further ado, here is my review of the 6 dancers left in the competition, in order of my rankings for last night (best to worst).

1. Joshua

Paired with Katee, he danced a Tyce contemporary and a paso doble. There is an obvious chemistry or synergy with Katee, his original partner, and it absolutely came out last night. The judges pimped it, the two contestants pimped it, even Tyce put it out there. Heck, I even got a little excited about it. But bottom line, the contemporary piece was flat out amazing, with an incredible lift/catch that had Joshua catching Katee seemingly mid-leap (more on Katee’s performance later), plucking her out of the air. The paso doble, in my opinion, was even better – it seemed more of a complete performance rather than just lifts and aerials and tricks, with a passion in it that matched what I would expect out of two traditional paso doble dancers.

Joshua is my pick to win the whole thing. Part of it is the immense support he gets from the judges. But also, if one is to make the (unfair?) comparison with Twitch, I think Twitch is a great soloist, with real variety and intrigue in his choreography, but when it comes to more “mature” dances that require real facial solemnity, it’s Joshua who is much more believable as a dancer. Plus I think he’s technically great, at least in my uninformed opinion.

2. Katee

Well, I think it makes sense that the strongest couple from Week 1 (helped immensely by the fact that it was the first time we saw the user-friendly stylings of Nappy Tabs, also known as Tabitha and Napoleon) are the two top dancers right now. I think there’s an important lesson for contestants in SYTYCD or American Idol that may already be obvious, but here it is: You have to be great on week one – that’s the most important time to make that emotional link with viewers. Once you do that, you have set everyone’s expectations with you, and you can simply ride the wave of votes to the final.

Not that Katee isn’t incredibly deserving! As mentioned above, she danced the contemporary and paso doble with Joshua. Arguably, Katee’s performance was even better than Joshua’s. I definitely think she’s the better “dancer” both technically and artistically. Her ability to freeze mid leap, to use her face as a tool to convey emotions, to be fluid and hard in the same routine – I think she’s one of the top 5 dancers all time on the show. Better than Sabra partly because of her natural build, there really hasn’t been one single off performance from Katee. That said, I think she is number 2 behind Joshua for one reason, her solos just don’t do it for me. They’re good, but this season, the female solos have been subpar and even worse, boring. I think we’ve seen the contemporary-dancer-solo bit a few too many times by now, and ballroom dancers just can’t carry off solos at all.

3. Chelsie

I think there’s a huge gap between 2 and 3 on this list, but let’s not shortchange Chelsie! No one, absolutely no one, has been better with ballroom or latin style dances than Chelsie, ever on this show.

Paired with Twitch, she started with the Mambo then went to Hip Hop. I thought (again, in my uninformed opinion) that she was absolutely flawless in the Mambo. She really knows how to dance those latin styles – you really couldn’t take your eyes off her, and Twitch just faded right into the background (as perhaps males are supposed to do?). The judges keep talking about her legs and their length… I don’t know if it’s that or just that her movements are so precise yet dynamic, a killer combination in these dances. The Hip Hop, however, I felt was a dud. I expected more out of them, considering it was Twitch and Nappy Tabs, but I should remember, Nappy Tabs don’t really do hard hip hop very well, and Twitch is much better with popping styles than with “lyrical hip hop” (a derided term amongst hip hop dancers). Chelsie didn’t embarrass herself by any means, but it did not measure up to Katee or Joshua at all. Plus, Chelsie’s solos really could just be copied and pasted from one week to another, except with different colored lingerie outfits.

4. Mark

A huge surprise for me if he makes it into the finals. I liked Mark in his performances where he had to assume a role – it seemed to actually improve his dancing technique as well when he could disappear into a distinct character – but overall, he seemed like a one-note dancer (a weird note at that). His solos are strange, almost Samoan (perhaps not surprising given his Hawaiian roots), but yet he’s lasted longer than Will (who should be in the Alvin Ailey company anyway).

Last night, he danced with Courtney and drew the Viennese Waltz and Jazz. The waltz was terrible in my eyes, but the judges (particularly Adam) loved it. However, the Jazz, choreographed by a person even more outwardly different than Mark, fit him to a T. The music, the movements, the character all meshed with his profile perfectly, and it was a good dance as well. I think this will be enough to carry him into the finals, in a mild upset over Twitch.

5. Twitch

Probably an early favorite to make it into the finals, due to his popping style and his personality. The judges tried very hard to pimp him into the finals for sure, and he has a fan-friendly presence on screen. But after a mild scare in the Top 12 results, where the judges were guaranteed to put him through to the Top 10, he took another blow last week when he again landed in the Bottom 2. That surprised me more than any thing else because I had thought his popularity was high enough to not have to worry. That shows me he’s vulnerable, and last night didn’t help his cause.

With Chelsie, Twitch got out danced in the Mambo and came up short in the Hip Hop. I think he needed a more dynamic routine in the Hip Hop to save him, and Nappy Tabs let him down. While it was a funny routine, I just don’t see any connection with the fans. Also, Twitch really really struggles when he needs to be a seriously male lead. Perhaps because the choreography gets more difficult for him when it comes to waltzes or paso dobles or what have you, but also because he’s just not believable as a romantic lead, a quality you desperately need to pull those off (see: Mark). For that reason, I see Twitch as off this week.

6. Courtney

And last (and least), Courtney. I think she’s been carried here by her looks, and while she can dance, I think she’s too much of a one noter as well. I didn’t buy her in the Waltz, and I didn’t really pay any attention to her in the Jazz. I guess she’s another dancer I just don’t believe in when it comes to dramatic characters – I feel like she puts on her practiced “serious look” (mouth a little open, eyebrows knit, hands outstretched) and that’s it. I think she’s a lock to go.

Thoughts??

Wednesday Way-back Machine: The West Wing

Let’s step into our way-back machine, a time machine that I have made out of a cardboard box, and let’s turn the dial to “The West Wing“.

Everyone remembers this show, right? If you’re a liberal, then you particularly remember Bartlet as “the president we wish we had,” at least for the first four seasons (we won’t be remembering the last three seasons with quite so much fondness). Maybe some day I’ll write something on Barack Obama and whether he’s the true life Bartlet, but let’s leave that question to another day.

Here’s my question for today: What was your SINGLE FAVORITE EPISODE for the show? That’s right, just one episode.

Very very difficult for me to pick just one.  Like many others, I have the DVD set for the first four seasons, and if I were to rank the seasons, I’d probably go (1) Season Two, (2) Season One, (3) Season Three, (4) Season Four.  The reason I’d switch Season One and Two on my ranking – well, there are two: Moira Kelly and schmaltzy writing in spots. For example, and yes, it’s just the pilot, but Bartlet’s speech at the end “With the clothes on their back…” is a little cringe-worthy. There are others. And I think Moira Kelly was is was a good actress, but either the writing or her stress levels on the show let her down.

SO. One episode. Your favorite. Which one? Well, based on which episodes I have watched the most from the DVD set, there are three candidates for me:

1. In the Shadow of Two Gunmen, specifically Part Two.  This was the two-part Season Two premiere, during which Josh recovers from being shot at Roslin.

2. Celestial Navigation, Season One, where Josh talks to the university about the administration’s efforts to nail down Justice Mendoza.

3. Noel, Season Two, where Josh works through his lingering issues with the gun shot during Christmas.

(Hmmmm… Looks like I like the Josh episodes?  Didn’t think about that before.)

In the end, I have to go with In the Shadow, Part Two.  Why? Something about seeing the Bartlet candidacy come together from absolutely nothing, or at least only a minor town hall-style meeting in New Hampshire with locals eating jello and chicken. Watching the staffers put together a winning primary strategy. Seeing how “What’s next?” was already woven into the fabric of the show by the writers, even by Episode 1 of Season 1 (wait until after Bartlet’s speech at the end). It all just worked for me.

What about for you? Which episode worked for you the best?

Mad Men: Season 2, Ep. 1 – Unanswered Questions

First, let it be said: If you have not gotten into Mad Men on AMC, give Season One a try. I think fans of West Wing, Sopranos, The Wire, Weeds, and other intelligent, well-written and -acted dramas, will feel right at home with the show.

Now, for those who are already into the show, let’s talk about Sunday’s premiere of Season 2.  Specifically, I think you can see where this season will be going; let’s talk about some of the unanswered questions that popped up during this episode.

1. What happened to Peggy’s baby?

Much was said directly and indirectly about this issue.  The word around the office is that Peggy went to a fat farm, most effusively by Pete Campbell. Or perhaps Don Draper “knocked her up” and then promoted her, as some jealous writers hoped. And Pete and his wife are having immense problems conceiving their own child – and given Pete’s proven sperm, it seems like Trudy may have medical issues not yet discovered.

BUT, back to the question: Where is Peggy’s baby?  It would be very tough for a young, single, hard working, ambitious copy writer to raise the baby on her own, given the hours she must work and the salary she must pull in (in the 1960s), so the bet here is adoption.  But obviously, this one’s not done yet.

2. Who did Don send that book to at the end?

“Meditations on an Emergency” by Frank O’Hara, is a collection of poems by a poet who would fit in well on this show.  But for our purposes, I’m more concerned with the question posed at the end of the show.  Who did the poem remind him of?  Who did he send that book to?  The guess here is Rachel Menkin, partly because I wish she’d be back on the show.

3. What happened between Don and Betty in the last 2 years?

Don seems a bit unsure of himself. His “underachievement” in bed on Valentine’s Day was just the most outward, obvious expression of his lack of confidence. He was also: (1) at the doctor’s office for a physical and dodging the doctor’s questions about his drinking, health, how he feels in the morning, etc. (2) very late for his own meeting, forgetting all about it as he ate lunch in a bar, feeling like he’s “doing nothing”, and chatting up a stranger, which seems very out of character for him (3) waiting for his wife as she was manipulating that tow truck driver, saying “well, I was here” in a surprisingly meek way.

Meanwhile, Betty was radiant on Valentine’s Day. She took control of the room service order, going all out with the crabmeat and steak. She’s taking horseriding lessons and scaring her daughter out of following suit (great line about the tragic scene in Gone With the Wind). She’s manipulating truck drivers, using her sex appeal to get out of a messy situation and then calmly walking out of a potentially abusive scene. She’s not cooking every meal for her children any more.

So, what kind of arrangement did they make after that Thanksgiving incident in Season 1? (Great ending to Ep. 13 by the way) Did Don simply open up his wallet (horses, nanny, hotels)? Did Don admit to his affairs? Has Betty had her own affairs?

4. What is the new calculus of power at Sterling Cooper?

Specifically:

(a) How is Roger Sterling’s health, and how has it been having three partners at the firm now?  Has that affected Roger’s and Don’s relationship?

(b) Is Duck Phillips making a move for Don’s position?

(c) Is Peggy the new Pete?

Here’s to a great season!  Please leave comments, and we can discuss any of these points or new ones you may have.

“American Brutus”: The Lincoln Assassination

I recently finished American Brutus, a reconstruction of sorts of the Lincoln assassination by John Wilkes Booth. The author, Michael Kauffman, references some never-used sources, namely many original documents and transcripts from the “Trial of the Century”. His goal, as he puts it, was to debunk some of the popularized myths surrounding the assassination, and to attempt to get behind Booth’s motivation for shooting Lincoln. Not as easy as it sounds, actually, getting at his motivation. One of the theories going around (which I had actually subscribed to, for lack of better knowledge) was that Booth was simply a deranged individual, with broken dreams of Southern glory. While this may have played a part, Booth wasn’t quite the deranged person he was made out to be. I’ll leave it to you to read the book – a surprisingly quick read for a 400 pager – but these are what I found to be most interesting:

1. A Day May Have Made All The Difference.

Lincoln, in the 1860s, was quite the controversial figure. He, along with his Secretary of State, William Seward (of Seward’s Folly fame), were seen in the South as tyrants, unwilling to allow their succession.  Lincoln also made some interesting decisions during the war, namely suspending habeas corpus and allowing many confederate supporters to be detained without cause. Sounds somewhat familiar.

And it wasn’t just the South. New York was a haven for confederate sympathizers, and Horace Greeley, editor of the New York Herald, had openly written of the need to kill Lincoln!

Given this, it’s not hard to see how Booth came to the decision to kill Lincoln. The plan had actually begun as a plot to kidnap him and use him as leverage for the return of confederate prisoners, but it eventually became the assassination “plot”.  Booth, a well known stage actor, had been in many Shakespearean plays, particularly Julius Caesar.  As we all know from having read that play in high school or college, Caesar was killed on the Ides by Brutus, who believed he was doing so for the greater good.

Flash forward to 1865.  April 13 was the Ides of April, and Booth had planned on killing Lincoln on that day to provide the overt symbolism of Lincoln as the Caesarean tyrant (remember “Sic semper tyrannis!” or “Thus always to tyrants!”). Booth would be seen as the hero, who acted for the greater good of the South and indeed America.  However, he missed his chance and had to kill him on April 14… which was Good Friday.  The media latched onto the Jesus Christ analogy instead, and Lincoln became the savior and Booth the detested terrorist.  Who knows what might have happened had Booth acted on the 13th.

2. Mary Surratt was the first woman put to death by the federal government.

In fact, many were later outraged that Andrew Johnson did not commute her sentence due to “her gender and her age.”  Even worse, in my mind, is that it looks like Mary Surratt may not have been so central to the plot.

3. Dr. Samuel Mudd (“thy name is Mudd”) was most likely innocent.

The details are better left to the book, but Dr. Mudd may have gotten a bum rap in this historical event, forever condemning his family name to children’s stories.  How could that have happened? See number 4.

4. John Wilkes Booth was one wily, sneaky, crafty conspirator.

He may have completely fabricated his “conspiracy” through artful (and devious) uses of handwritten notes, staging of appearances with “co-conspirators”, and letters stashed with his family members. For example, he wrote a note to Andrew Johnson saying “Don’t wish to disturb you, are you home?”  Problem is, Johnson wasn’t even acquainted with Booth.  However, this note cast doubt on Johnson’s innocence, particularly during his impeachment hearings.  Or, Booth would go on a horse ride with another person, making sure he was seen by townsfolk, and making it look like in hindsight that they had been mapping out escape routes.  Crafty!

Bottom line: Great book.  Is Kauffman 100% correct with his theories and conclusions?  Probably not.  But it was an educational read nonetheless.

Blaze of Glory? A Philly Championship!

All Hail the Philadelphia Soul and, yes, Jon Bon Jovi!

Yes it’s true, I am a born and raised Philadelphian (though I now live in DC), and a passionate phanatic of all sports Philly. So, any time a championship comes through Philadelphia, it will be duly noted here.

Now, get me a championship in one of the real four major sports, and then we’ll talk.

Making Pencils Disappear – My Review of Dark Knight

I finally went to see Dark Knight today. It seems like the majority of the movie-going public watched this movie on opening weekend: Dark Knight broke the record for proceeds in an opening weekend (from the venerable Spiderman 3… I guess the record doesn’t quite mean as much as it did back in the days of Star Wars).

Bottom line: This movie was a mixed bag for me, and I am a bonafide Batman fan. But one thing should be clear: Heath Ledger was amazing. More on that later.

The movie has certainly received incredible hype and buzz. A lot of it, however, doesn’t seem to be all that well deserved.

First, Maggie Gyllenhall was not the vast improvement over Katie Holmes that I expected. I thought her acting was a bit superficial, obvious maybe. Perhaps it was the writing, but I did not enjoy her character.

Second, the Harvey Dent – Two Face story line was resolved a bit too quickly. I had thought Two Face would be the subject of the next movie, but it appears not. I think they could have gone without the conversion to Two Face until the very end of the movie, and use that as a cliff hanger, much like the great cliff hanger they used in Batman Begins with the Joker card. That way, they could have shaved at least 20-25 minutes off this long movie.

Also, the sound and editing seemed a little off during the movie. A lot of the dialogue was too quiet, the background music was inconsistently noticeable, and the scenes were a little jagged, fragmented, not logically sequenced at all. A few times I thought the projector had somehow skipped a reel!

That said, I will say this again. Heath Ledger’s performance was everything it had been promised to be, and it is reason enough to plunk down the $8.00 $9.50 to watch this in the theater. He saves the movie, plain and simple. Or rather, he IS the movie, plain and simple. I hesitate to write any more in case some readers haven’t seen the movie (though, let’s be honest, how many readers will read this early post?). I think it is enough to say that even if you don’t know exactly what the Joker character is based on, you will love his performance. It is simply the best villain I have seen in the movies in a long long time. It truly is a shame that it is Mr. Ledger’s last full performance. Seems like we tend to lose artists just when they have mastered, or reached an epiphany in, their craft… Kurt Cobain, River Phoenix are the two that come to mind. If you have any others, please add some comments.

First steps.

Welcome to my new site! I’m working on some finishing touches, settings and formatting and so on, but soon I’ll be writing on a wide range of topics: Literature, sports, politics, movies, anything that comes to our attention.

See everyone soon!