The Brits just do it better
Wow, so so you think you can dance: uk is like so you think you can dance: for grown-ups. Mature and STILL able to be entertaining. Go figure.
I marathoned the second series in 3 DAYS IT WAS THAT GOOD. And more routines made me smiley/flaily/weepy in only a handful of UK episodes than any ever did in the US version the last couple of seasons (aka: not that many - at least that didn't include Kathryn). SRSLY, WATCH IT.
Want a hint of how fabulous this cast/series was? Here's the Top 4 guys routine - it is INCREDIBLE
If that intruiges you at all, you should check out the fangasm behind the cut. But probably no one will end up looking at this so I'm just doing it for my own amusement but whatever its awesome trololololol
+ I'm not gonna lie - the first thing I noticed after watching the intro packages were the differences in age amongst the cast. There were only a few people under 21 and the rest ranged up to 32 (in fact, two of the finalists were 29, 1 was 24 and the other was 30). It’s INCREDIBLE that the producers somehow managed to find THAT MANY talented dancers who were over 21 [/sarcasm]. The US show means to tell me that it in noooo way can find experienced, mature, talented dancers versatile enough to do multiple styles, who would want to try out for the show and who the judges would actually cast? My mind is BOGGLED. (ok, this current US season started off somewhat better than past ones, BUT STILL).
+ The variety of dancers that made up the Top 20 was CA-RAZYYY. It was a seriously diverse with 2 tappers, a ballroomer, 4 “hip-hoppers” and a DISCO DANCER. There were only a few people who could even be considered canon fodder and they were dispersed of fairly quickly. There was rarely more than 2 contemporary/jazz routines in one ep (including a genre ridiculously called “commercial”, which really just looks like pop jazz or a mish-mash of jazz/hip-hop but was still usually fun).
+ The judging panel is the same 4 judges every week (including Nigel, who actually seems less horrible than on the US one), but get this - they actually judge and offer such things as constructive criticism and sometimes poor feedback. Yes, they do praise people who they admit to liking, but you as a viewer don’t hate the dancer because of their praise, becuause usually the praise is completely valid each and every time and the show doesn’t so obnoxiously play favorites as its older brother has taken to doing.
+ There’s one thing that bugged me about the UK set up, though - while the voting public determined which 2 girls/guys were in danger each week, it was the judges who determined who would be leaving all the way up to the finale (although I did agree with pretty much all of their decisions up until Top 8). I MUCH prefer the US rules where the public takes over eliminations completely at Top 10 and the judges/production no longer have a say in the matter (which came up a couple of times in this past UK season - the judges would be deadlocked so either production got to choose who stayed or Nigel got to pick for himself - blech).
But there wasn’t one problem I had with the Top 10 - it was a SOLID season all around.
+ US Season 8 is ruined for me now after being completely spoiled by the past season of SYTYCD:UK. God I was SO BORED watching this week's episodes. I have no one I'm really attached to or rooting for anymore and and dances were just blaaah most of the time. The quality of the choreography on SYTYCD:UK was consistent and overall pretty fucking amazing (as was the camera work - US camera operators, take notes. TAKE MAJOR NOTES). And yeah, there were a few US-repeats, but I thought they were danced better the second time around (subjective, yes) - case in point. Yeah the original had Ade but the UK girl does a better job of getting into the character of the black widow than LoFro and the guy holds his own very commendably. Plus, it’s got that added bit of sexual tension that was missing from the original.
+ And I totally fell in love with a couple like I haven’t loved a couple since Kathryn/Legacy (aka: my only ship in SYTYCD - BUT NO MORE).
SAY HI TO CHARLOTTE (jazz) AND MATT (tap)!!!
SO. ADORABLE. TOGETHER OH MY GOD. And they NAILED every routine and they made it all the way through Top 10 together. My guy was pretty much slated to take it all from the word go - HE COULD NOT TAKE A MISSTEP IF HE TRIED (though he did, strangly enough, never get hip hop...hmm ...whatever I don't caaaare), but then Nigel got to play favorites and kicked my girl off at Top 8. It was kind of like Legacy getting cut in Top 8 during S6, because I actually really cared about Charlotte like I did Legacy and just guhhh I was gutted *SADFACE FOR DAYSSS*).
BUT ANYWAYSSS, BACK TO THE AWESOME PARTS - WHICH IS EVERY PART.
Week 1 - Foxtrot (look at how everyone laughs at them when they pick it in the pre-tape package LOL OH CAST, OH SHIP, you had me the second Char twirled out on stage in that purple dress):
Week 2 - Jazz (yeah so Mandy Moore recycled Jakob and Ashleigh’s Relax routine, but whatever I don’t care Ashleigh bugged me and I totally think this rivals the original - PLUS, ROYAL WEDDING IN THE PACKAGE):
Week 3 - Broadway (IT IS FUCKING FLAWWWLESSSS):
Week 4 - Lindy Hop (ahahaha Matt’s dorky excitement and Char’s total WTF IS THE LINDY HOP face!!! BUT IT IS FIERCE.):
Week 5 (part 1)- Disco (Charlotte: “This is our chance to show that we’re not just one-trick donkeys.” Matt: “(laughing) Its one trick ponies.” Charlotte: “(laughing) Yeah but you said it was donkeys.” Charlotte/Matt: *LAUGH DELIGHTFULLY TOGETHER*. Ok so this was in regards to the contemp piece they had to do as well, but whatever they are PRECIOUS):
Week 5 (part 2) - Contemporary (their last dance together - there may have been tears):
* It should be noted that Bethany Rose/Isreal and Kirsty/Lee B were also great together and each seemed to have fun, close partnerships.
+ And hey Tyce - yeah, I noticed Nigel imported you over a few times, here’s some pointers on how to create a successful broadway number:
Matt & Charlotte's, OBVIOUSLY | 5 of the Top 20 Intro | Top 16 Broadway
Though apparently he can pull out something that’s not complete crap when he wants to: Katie/Israel's Top 8 Fosse number. I know, I almost broke out in hives typing that.
+ They also had routinely great group numbers this series:
Top 18 Wedding Dance | Top 14 Born this Way (similar to S5’s Top 20) | Top 20 Finale Reunion
+ And for those nay-sayers who think a guy on guy paso can never work, prepare to be proven WRONG:
So yeah, this was a FANTASTIC season of so you think you can dance, and I'd recommend anyone who's a fan of the show to watch it.
Aaaaaaand of course there's rumors that it’s probably just been cancelled. Obviously.
Oh, and Cat manages to be an even more adorable human being hosting in her native land. I thought it was impossible for her to be any cuter, but I was horribly wrong.
Horribly, horribly wrong.
I marathoned the second series in 3 DAYS IT WAS THAT GOOD. And more routines made me smiley/flaily/weepy in only a handful of UK episodes than any ever did in the US version the last couple of seasons (aka: not that many - at least that didn't include Kathryn). SRSLY, WATCH IT.
Want a hint of how fabulous this cast/series was? Here's the Top 4 guys routine - it is INCREDIBLE
Click to viewIf that intruiges you at all, you should check out the fangasm behind the cut. But probably no one will end up looking at this so I'm just doing it for my own amusement but whatever its awesome trololololol
+ I'm not gonna lie - the first thing I noticed after watching the intro packages were the differences in age amongst the cast. There were only a few people under 21 and the rest ranged up to 32 (in fact, two of the finalists were 29, 1 was 24 and the other was 30). It’s INCREDIBLE that the producers somehow managed to find THAT MANY talented dancers who were over 21 [/sarcasm]. The US show means to tell me that it in noooo way can find experienced, mature, talented dancers versatile enough to do multiple styles, who would want to try out for the show and who the judges would actually cast? My mind is BOGGLED. (ok, this current US season started off somewhat better than past ones, BUT STILL).
+ The variety of dancers that made up the Top 20 was CA-RAZYYY. It was a seriously diverse with 2 tappers, a ballroomer, 4 “hip-hoppers” and a DISCO DANCER. There were only a few people who could even be considered canon fodder and they were dispersed of fairly quickly. There was rarely more than 2 contemporary/jazz routines in one ep (including a genre ridiculously called “commercial”, which really just looks like pop jazz or a mish-mash of jazz/hip-hop but was still usually fun).
+ The judging panel is the same 4 judges every week (including Nigel, who actually seems less horrible than on the US one), but get this - they actually judge and offer such things as constructive criticism and sometimes poor feedback. Yes, they do praise people who they admit to liking, but you as a viewer don’t hate the dancer because of their praise, becuause usually the praise is completely valid each and every time and the show doesn’t so obnoxiously play favorites as its older brother has taken to doing.
+ There’s one thing that bugged me about the UK set up, though - while the voting public determined which 2 girls/guys were in danger each week, it was the judges who determined who would be leaving all the way up to the finale (although I did agree with pretty much all of their decisions up until Top 8). I MUCH prefer the US rules where the public takes over eliminations completely at Top 10 and the judges/production no longer have a say in the matter (which came up a couple of times in this past UK season - the judges would be deadlocked so either production got to choose who stayed or Nigel got to pick for himself - blech).
But there wasn’t one problem I had with the Top 10 - it was a SOLID season all around.
+ US Season 8 is ruined for me now after being completely spoiled by the past season of SYTYCD:UK. God I was SO BORED watching this week's episodes. I have no one I'm really attached to or rooting for anymore and and dances were just blaaah most of the time. The quality of the choreography on SYTYCD:UK was consistent and overall pretty fucking amazing (as was the camera work - US camera operators, take notes. TAKE MAJOR NOTES). And yeah, there were a few US-repeats, but I thought they were danced better the second time around (subjective, yes) - case in point. Yeah the original had Ade but the UK girl does a better job of getting into the character of the black widow than LoFro and the guy holds his own very commendably. Plus, it’s got that added bit of sexual tension that was missing from the original.
+ And I totally fell in love with a couple like I haven’t loved a couple since Kathryn/Legacy (aka: my only ship in SYTYCD - BUT NO MORE).
SAY HI TO CHARLOTTE (jazz) AND MATT (tap)!!!
SO. ADORABLE. TOGETHER OH MY GOD. And they NAILED every routine and they made it all the way through Top 10 together. My guy was pretty much slated to take it all from the word go - HE COULD NOT TAKE A MISSTEP IF HE TRIED (though he did, strangly enough, never get hip hop...hmm ...whatever I don't caaaare), but then Nigel got to play favorites and kicked my girl off at Top 8. It was kind of like Legacy getting cut in Top 8 during S6, because I actually really cared about Charlotte like I did Legacy and just guhhh I was gutted *SADFACE FOR DAYSSS*).
BUT ANYWAYSSS, BACK TO THE AWESOME PARTS - WHICH IS EVERY PART.
Week 1 - Foxtrot (look at how everyone laughs at them when they pick it in the pre-tape package LOL OH CAST, OH SHIP, you had me the second Char twirled out on stage in that purple dress):
Week 2 - Jazz (yeah so Mandy Moore recycled Jakob and Ashleigh’s Relax routine, but whatever I don’t care Ashleigh bugged me and I totally think this rivals the original - PLUS, ROYAL WEDDING IN THE PACKAGE):
Week 3 - Broadway (IT IS FUCKING FLAWWWLESSSS):
Week 4 - Lindy Hop (ahahaha Matt’s dorky excitement and Char’s total WTF IS THE LINDY HOP face!!! BUT IT IS FIERCE.):
Week 5 (part 1)- Disco (Charlotte: “This is our chance to show that we’re not just one-trick donkeys.” Matt: “(laughing) Its one trick ponies.” Charlotte: “(laughing) Yeah but you said it was donkeys.” Charlotte/Matt: *LAUGH DELIGHTFULLY TOGETHER*. Ok so this was in regards to the contemp piece they had to do as well, but whatever they are PRECIOUS):
Week 5 (part 2) - Contemporary (their last dance together - there may have been tears):
* It should be noted that Bethany Rose/Isreal and Kirsty/Lee B were also great together and each seemed to have fun, close partnerships.
+ And hey Tyce - yeah, I noticed Nigel imported you over a few times, here’s some pointers on how to create a successful broadway number:
Matt & Charlotte's, OBVIOUSLY | 5 of the Top 20 Intro | Top 16 Broadway
Though apparently he can pull out something that’s not complete crap when he wants to: Katie/Israel's Top 8 Fosse number. I know, I almost broke out in hives typing that.
+ They also had routinely great group numbers this series:
Top 18 Wedding Dance | Top 14 Born this Way (similar to S5’s Top 20) | Top 20 Finale Reunion
+ And for those nay-sayers who think a guy on guy paso can never work, prepare to be proven WRONG:
So yeah, this was a FANTASTIC season of so you think you can dance, and I'd recommend anyone who's a fan of the show to watch it.
Aaaaaaand of course there's rumors that it’s probably just been cancelled. Obviously.
Oh, and Cat manages to be an even more adorable human being hosting in her native land. I thought it was impossible for her to be any cuter, but I was horribly wrong.
Horribly, horribly wrong.