Photos
Video
Week 8 results on 'So You Think You Can Dance'
Brace yourself people. It's time to find out who our final four are on So You Think You Can Dance. Prepare yourself to be stoked and/or disappointed.
Spoilers
By the way, I just wanted to thank Liz for filling in for me so masterfully while I was getting owned by San Diego Comic Con last week.
The opening group number is a Contemporary piece to "The Rose" by Bette Midler. It's interesting because, even though they're doing the same moves, each is putting their own flavor to it. It was pretty, I'm not bowled over by it but it was very pretty. Huh. It was by Mandy Moore. Odd. I usually respond more to her stuff.
Cat comes out and tosses her hair joyfully as a wind machine blows. Fantastic. Adam Shankman, who Cat called "Shankers" (which is awesome_, returns to join Nigel and Mary. Shankers announces that, on top of the existing prize package, the winner will also get a featured dancer role in a movie he's producing. Ooooooooo.
Before the results, Nigel gives the remaining six contestants to not get down about getting eliminated or get to hung up on rejection since that's the life of a dancer. But he wants them to know he's proud of them and that each has pulled in over 1 million votes. That's insane. Mary prattles on about being proud and layers of something and blah blah blah. I tuned out, sorry. Shankers adds that they should always remember that they've shown the best of themselves to everyone watching and that they have fans out there.
Everyone gets to dance solos one last time, which they get to immediately instead of announces who's "in danger."
1. Courtney
Song: "Almost Lover" by A Fine Frenzy
One of the lyrics is "Goodbye my almost lover," which would be tragically ironic if she gets eliminated tonight.
2. Mark
Song: "Wind It Up (Original Neptunes Mix)" by Gwen Stefani
He's dancing with suspenders attached to his jeans. It's not my favorite solo of his but I still adore him.
3. Katee
Song: "Beautiful Disaster" by Jon McLaughlin
Back to a slow song, Katee is a solid as ever. No surprise there.
4. Joshua
Song: "I Can Make You Dance" by Zapp
He's one of the few dancers who has consistently entertaining solos.
Also, he got his braces off which Cat points out. I bet he's overjoyed
about it.
5. Chelsie
Song: "the Girl's Gone Wild" by Travis Tritt
She goes with a Jive for tonight's solo. She's wearing this crazy new millennium saloon girl type outfit.
6. Twitch
Song: "Don't Worry, Be Happy" by Bobby McFerrin
Not only was it a great solo, I thought it was a great statement/philosophy for tonight.
Lil' Demon comes out to dance to "planet Rock" by Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force. He's 6-years-old, has been dancing for two years, and is this amazing breakdancer. He's better than a lot of grownups I've seen. His brother taught him how to dance and, when Cat (who's picked him up to interview him) asks if he's better than his sibling, says yes. Adorable.
I'm so glad this is (theoretically) the last time we'll see that Snuggle Happy Dance contest.
Elimination results start with the girls, going through recaps of all three before Katee gets told she is safe and in the finals. And then a commercial break. Boooooooooo!
Back from the break, the boys are now on stage. Ah, so that's how they're going to stretch the show out. Double boo. With the replay of Twitch's Latin number, certainly the technique wasn't great but I still think he sold it really well. Plus, Chelsie drew my attention so much I probably wouldn't have noticed unless I purposefully focused on him. At any rate, Joshua is definitely in the finale. Yay! He James Brown's his way to the "Safe Box" in happiness.
Lady Gaga now treats us to a performance of her hit "Just Dance," which is all kinds of 80's flavored out there, but in a good way. Her shoulder pads are so huge...like Sho' Nuff from The Last Dragon. And I appreciate that she always sings live. Good times. Cat points out that Jason, a Season 2 finalist, is one of her back-up dancers.
Forgive this random aside brought about by a commercial: I freely admit that I got suckered into seeing the first Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants in the theaters but I'm not sure I'm feeling...sappy enough to succumb to the charms of its sequel. But I still love you America Ferrara.
Okay, enough time-killing. Courtney and Chelsie are on the chopping
block first. Both look like a bundle of nerves but it's Courtney who
gets the good type of relief. Chelsie has been eliminated and says a
tearful goodbye as Cat hugs her in reassurance.
Argh.
It's between Mark and Twitch. I love them both and will be sad either
way. And...Twitch has made it into the top four. I'll miss Mark but on
the bright side we'll get to see Twitch and Joshua dance together next
week. If they don't do a Hip Hop number, it'll be a crime. Mark
expresses his appreciation for the experience and for being around for
so long considering his uniqueness. He picks everyone up and hugs them,
even the boys.
All right people. Have at it. Disappointed? Happy? Excited? Feeling snacky? Share, discuss, rant to your heart's content...
the wrong girl got voted off. courtney doesn't hold a candle to chelsie.. the guys were closer, but in the end, it'll be katie and joshua!
nancy | Jul 31, 2008 8:09:13 PM | #BOOOOO! Mark had the deck stacked against him almost from the beginning. He almost never got contemporary that would have allowed him to show off his performance skills... he got the crappiest routines and dancers they could find for him. It's a miracle he lasted as long as he did.
Lori | Jul 31, 2008 8:13:44 PM | #I'm always feeling "snacky," but only somewhat snarky. I will miss Miss Chelsie. The only time I noticed a lack of sure footedness was in tonight's choreographed "...Rose" number.
Loved the spirit she projected in her dancing. Like Courtney also, and Katie is a technical master--but I'll miss the ebullience of Chelsie's dancing. She lets everything she's thinking or feeling flow through her in a very positive way.
Well, I had it pegged right--Chelsie & Mark going home!! Recaps showing, I guess they weren't all that bad, esp as a couple when they danced--felt bad for them, but still glad the others were left!! Still hoping for a Josh, or a Katee win, wish it could be a couple, then Josh & Katee would win hands down!! Couldn't remember if it got down to just 2--but I do remember 2 guys dancing in the finale 1 year--Benji & Travis!! It will be cool to see Josh & Twitch, hope they do get a Hip Hop--can't rem the choices they give them--can't imagine them getting a rumba or sumba--esp w/2 guys & 2/girls!! Go Josh & Katee!!
Michele | Jul 31, 2008 8:39:35 PM | #Ugh. I'm so disappointed. I LOVED Mark. And I LOVED Chelsie. I LOVED them together. I resented the fact that Katee and Joshua got to be back together last night. It just seemed unfair. I hope Courtney wins.
Abby Bischoff | Jul 31, 2008 8:54:02 PM | #Have to disagree - the *RIGHT* girl (of the remaining girls) got voted off tonight. Chelsie never was strong enough as a solo performer. In the end, the strongest individual dancer wins, not the best couple.
Also hated to see Mark go - he was a unique performer and always interesting to watch. BUT... I would've hated to see Twitch or Joshua go more.
CT | Jul 31, 2008 9:24:56 PM | #To be honest, regardless of who got eliminated tonight it would have been tough to be critical of the decision as all 6 have performed well all season and all were on last night as well.
For the girls, I guess Chelsie's solo betrayed her in the end.
For the guys, I guess Mark's solid work for all 3 dances along with Twitch being in the bottom 2 last week were the determining factors.
I think Joshua will win it all, but for the first time in the 4 seasons of the show there isn't a clear frontrunner.
Rishi | Jul 31, 2008 10:10:30 PM | #Is Chelsie a lesbian? I asked before but it got deleted. I guess zap2it is homophobic. It's OK if she doesn't like men. That's her thing. I just think it's ironic that both people voted off tonight are gay. WHy is that bad?
Jonas | Jul 31, 2008 10:23:57 PM | #Well tonight was a tough one both ppl voted off were great but one ones left are also great hmmmmmmm so how do i now decide who whould win .....i say courtney cause shes so cute and pretty and beautyfull and she just makes me smile and i just adore the look she has on her face when she finishes he dances like shes so greatful to be there....so i know weird reason for choosing a winner but all the ppl left are so strong so thats how im picking mine!!!
Zac | Jul 31, 2008 11:43:51 PM | #I'm hoping Joshua wins. For someone with little professional training, he has shined in so many different styles. I'm not a fan of Pasa Doble, but he was amazing in it. In the group dances, I find myself watching him most.
cj | Aug 1, 2008 12:04:01 AM | #Being someone who *just* doesn't see what's so great about Twitch, I'm sad to say I won't watch the finale next week. Even with the other dancers' performance, I can't stand his limited range. I'll perhaps watch the last bit of the results show, but that's about it. *sigh* And here I was thinking that this season had been rather interesting.
I do think the show is more rigged this year, and in a very obvious way. Apparently, if all you can do is hip-hop, it's enough to get you through. At this rate, they can probably rename the show to "So you think you can hip-hop"...
I hate courtney so much. She thinks that if she flips her hair around enough she will get everyones votes, and apparently it worked. Chelsie was the best dancer out of the girls if not all 6 dancers. I love Katee too, but Chelsie and Katee should have both had the opportunity to compete for the final girls position. I think katee will win it all now because courtney sucks.... all things. I love Joshua and Twitch, but really? Two hip hop guys left? I think Will should have stayed on. He was probably the best dancer ever to be on the show, so I think he will do big things regardless, but he was unfairly voted off. Thats it.
Courtney.... boo....
I stopped watching last week when Will got voted off. Checking in with this re-cap and seeing that Twitch is still in it just confirms I made the right choice to tune out. Jane, I couldn't agree with you more. Twitch is great at hip-hop and making t-shirts with his own logo on them (which I find annoying) but other than that, he's the most limted of the bunch.
Ron H. | Aug 1, 2008 1:18:51 AM | #I'm disappointed by last night's results. I would have preferred to see Mark and Chelsie in the finale over Courtney and Joshua (who I think is excellent, but feel no connection with whatsoever).
Katee should win the whole thing, I think, as she has been the most consistent dancer this season. But imagine all the speechifying that Nigel will do when considering her journey - from nearly not being chosen because of her attitude... oi vey. I don't want to hear it ;P
Chelsea | Aug 1, 2008 4:20:02 AM | #I absolutely agree that this pool of talent is the deepest of any season, but the judges are not nearly as critical of these dancers as they should be. Joshua and Katee have consistently turned in unbelieveable performances, so I don't consider their praise to be unwarranted. But what's up with the overhyping of Twitch? I absolutely loathe when Mary or Nigel say...Well, technique wasn't really there, but you were entertaining so I'll forgive the sloppy dancing. You aren't forgiven for sloppy technique in the dance world. Considering that Joshua and Katee have both adapted to the technique of other dances AND entertained us, I don't see why they continuously make exceptions for dancers like Twitch. He was easily the weakest dancer on Wednesday, but you'd never know by the judges comments.
I wish that Mark would have been in the bottom 2 last week as it probably would have worked out for him. The finale wont be the same without him.
I'm fine with Chelsie's ousting. Courtney was the better individual dancer. Chelsie was better at her niche than Courtney but I found that Chelsie, as an individual dancer, was noticeably weaker than the others. She needed a partner to shine.
Michael | Aug 1, 2008 6:35:48 AM | #Wow. I would not speculate on anyone's sexual preference, unless they made a point of disclosing it--and then it wouldn't be speculation any more. (Sorry for the random rant.) I knew when I watched (delayed so I could zip through Nigel and Mary's blather and the stupid snuggle sappy dance) that I would be disappointed no mater who was eliminated. And I was, and I am. The final six are (were) awesome. Now if Nigel could shut up and Mary could stop screaming I'd be happy.
| Aug 1, 2008 6:56:34 AM | #I was quite upset to see Chelsie go. It is definitely a much more popularity contest at this point which is fine, that's the game. Twitch was weak last weak. Basically the only dancers who could do the fast footwork were Mark (that guy who got voted off with Rayven first week... forgot his name) and Chelsie, but we can see dance is changing before our eyes. People are complaining about the Hip-Hop and part of me agrees, but part of me also has to say that this is an American dance style very much our own (plus the variations of it) so why not feature it? I adored Chelsie more and more each week. Courtney after the way they hung her out to dry last week when she was in the bottom 2 with Comfort, just leaving her there in that room while they did the guys, alone, well that definitely earned her sympathy. Anybody else notice that Chelsie said she was pulling for Courtney after she announced as going home?! I wonder if it means she doesn't like Katee... I also think Chelsie probably was a great help to Mark over the weeks because his partnering became fantastic while having a fantastic partner. Anyway enough. It's going to be quite a finale, but I think Joshua has a good chance to pull it all out.
Joe S | Aug 1, 2008 7:03:26 AM | #Finale Night Elimination Predictions:
Courtney - 4th
Twitch - 3rd
Joshua - 2nd
Katee - Winner!
I have to give Mark a lot of credit for his gracious exit. His quirkiness was a joy to watch. I can't help but be disappointed with the final results. The competition is basically over with as Katee and Josh are so much better than Twitch and Courtney.
Sadly what I thought would be the best season ever of this show has turned out to be the worst (never saw season 1). Next year I hope they make some serious changes. Here are my suggestions:
1. Start the partner switches and individual numbers from week 1. This will really separate the good from the great and keep some great dancers from being eliminated by a bad partner and weak dances. In turn it will also keep the Comforts/Cedric's of the competition from going further than they deserve.
2. Cut down on the hip-hop, two per episode is a bit much and usually only one dance is well choreographed.
3. Add more unique dance styles. Bollywood, Ballet and Burlesque were very nice additions and a good change from the norm.
4. Get better costumers. Some are great and others are just atrocious and ridiculous. The dance itself should never be distracted from or hindered by a bad outfit.
5. Reign those judges in. I think Mary should be removed as a permanent judge and start choreographing again. She has turned herself into a shrieky joke, instead of a dance expert. Nigel should refrain from being a dirty old man. Some of his commentary is good but his bias is becoming more and more obvious. I want more honest critiquing. Stop pimping your favorite dancers and let the audience decide. I bet 9 times out of 10 the audience would pick the right dancers if the judges didn't overly praise or criticize someone. They also should stop praising bad choreography and blaming the dancers alone when crap is crap. Don't say anything at all if they are scared the choreographer is sensitive and might quit if panned.
I'm sorry to see Mark go. He was by far my favorite performer.
It's Joshua's competition to lose. He is so strong and a great dancer. Twitch is there because he's popular, but I don't think he's as strong or as versatile as Mark.
The three girls remaining were all great. Although I can see why Chelsia was voted off. I don't think she ever connected with the audience.
We'll just have to see next week. Any ideas who will win this season? My bet is on Joshua.
DancinDude | Aug 1, 2008 7:36:33 AM | #why chelsie why!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anthony | Aug 1, 2008 7:41:28 AM | #I loved Mark, yet I picked him to go tonight. I didn't like Chelsie as much, so it wasn't a big loss.
To all those complaining about who has less skill and why they don't deserve to be in the Final Four: You forget that this is not about the best dancer, but about America's Favorite Dancer, so charisma and performance energy counts for lots. Hence, Twitch and Joshua. The only way to actually try to affect the process is vote!
For me, I'm hoping that America will get it right this year by voting for the person with BOTH the skills and charisma/energy -- Katee. I will be perfectly happy with Joshua though, given that they're an unbeatable combo together. I love me some Twitch and am always pleasantly surprised by Courtney's performance skills (although she still seems somewhat green), so their presence in the Final Four are okay by me.
I love lots of these dancers, but for some reason I felt more drawn in last year ...
Hanh (fellow Zap2it blogger) | Aug 1, 2008 8:05:02 AM | #I agree with Hanh. Last year was the first SYTYCD season I watched, and it was much better. I don't know if it was the blantantly obvious bias the judges had or the over-utilized choreographers (I think there was 1 episode where Mandi Moore choreographed 3 routines), but there was something off about this season.
I was actually hoping that Twitch would have been off instead of Mark. I think Mark is a better dancer than Twitch. I agree with Chelsea being voted off though. I was always wondering how she made it this far with being in the bottom 2. I admit she is a very good dancer, but Courtney just seemed more passionate about dancing. Chelsea was more a closed off personality so I never really got into her.
SLP | Aug 1, 2008 8:24:02 AM | #Wow! I am really disappointed that Twitch is still in the running, as his limitations became more obvious every week, and Mark just impressed me more and more, both individually and with partnering skills. Josh should be a shoo-in. As for the women, it was such a difficult decision, but I think, as others have said, that Chelsie was so much better with a partner and for me, she lit up the stage. I did feel it was an advantage for Katee and Joshua to be paired up again, but they are both great. I have always loved Courtney and so I was happy she was there at the end.
This show is so ENTERTAINING that I can't understand why some people continually put it down because of one thing or another. I don't know of another show (esp. American Idol) where there is so much talent! Sad to see the show end, and as long as Twitch doesn't win, I'll be happy.
cynx | Aug 1, 2008 8:25:33 AM | #Dear Tamara -
Do you have any inside knowledge about the careers of participants who don't win? I thought Mark was great, but I also enjoy all the other dancers in varying degrees and for different reasons. So I wonder: what sorts of career prospects are there for these dancers? I don't have any idea about the work life of dancers. I've enjoyed this show from it's first season, and my hope is that the ones who don't win - as well as the winners - are able to get paying work to support themselves.
Michelle
Michelle | Aug 1, 2008 8:33:28 AM | #
Zap2it Twitter Talk
