Unfinished Dad

So You Think You Can Dance, Top 20 Week 2 Results

Caitlin and Jason, okay.

Kupono and Ashley, mm-hmm.

Kayla and Max!  What?

Okay, so this wasn't a surprise on the level of Natalie going home before the top 20, but it was still crazy to see Kayla in that line of girls that are on the way out sooner rather than later.  You knew the judges would never send her home, and Ashley seemed a suitable person to leave.  I would have sent Caitlin and her sad outfits packing, but that is just me.

Kupono was told that he wasn't a very good dancer, and Max was told that nobody works as hard as him (which translates into "you are bad dancer").  So which bad dancer would the judges send home?  Max, who was basically given the boot because he was boring, and because the judges want to see Kayla with a more interesting partner.  Nobody said this show was on the air to find the America's best dancer.

Until someone great (Evan, Brandon, Kayla, Ade) goes home, the results shows will continue to bore.  These thursday night editions simply must be watched on Tivo.  Who was that crappy band (sic) that flew by me in a fast forward leotarded blur anyway?

Until next week,

UD

So You Think You Can Dance, Top 20 Week 2

Dear Emily,

The extrapolation of your explanation without any expletives for this week's show was great.  I agree with you, not a very strong show from top to bottom.  I won't go through each couple, because as usual, you and I are on the same page for most of them.  Instead I would like to focus on some recurring themes that are troubling.

First of all, your assessment that Nigel defends the choreographer and blames the dancers for poor performances or inability to get into a character is spot on.  Is it really a coincidence that both of Shane Sparks' routines were poorly reviewed?  It's hard for me to believe that four different people had trouble picking up on the nuances of the routines.  Let's solve this problem by only using Tabitha and Napolean for hip hop from now on, what do you think?

Second, the leeway that the judges show for certain dancers is getting out of control.  Phillip was awful tonight and they gave him a total pass.  They may have been critical of how he danced his awful quasi-tango, but they let him off the hook based on his inexperience.  The choreographer, Tony, must have taken so much out of his original plan when he saw what he was working with.  Did you notice that they did not do the lift that was shown in rehearsal?

The last issue I have is slightly more interpretive.  Last week I asked you offline how all of America would receive Melissa's white hands all over Ade's black body.  My guess is that there are some folks in a state that I used to live in that are a little uncomfortable.  You disagreed with me, but let me add another level to it.  Mary keeps referring to Ade as a gentle giant.  I think that calling him this is implicitly racist.  Would she have called a white man that is bigger than his partner that?  He isn't as big as Phillip and certainly not Kupono.  Hell, he isn't even as tall as Cat.  To me, every time she says this I think she is envisioning King Kong.  Recently, Vogue caught just a bit of flak for it's photo of Lebron James on their cover.  In short, he was King Kong and Gisele Bundchen was the damsel in distress.  Mary's little nickname doesn't seem too dissimilar.

Okay, let's segue.  Weak night.  Here are my bottom three couples.

Jason and Caitlin: Just awful.  They both looked pretty lost and there is something about her (besides her inability to dress herself) I don't like at all.  But they probably just misinterpreted Shane's message.

Ashley and Kupono:  Ashley was really quite good tonight, but Kupono was awful.  He looked like he was square dancing.  Ouch.

Phillip and Jeanine Asuka Vitolio:  I don't care what Mary and Nigel say, you can't get around how boring a slow waltz is, and these two don't have the following to carry them through.  You are right, as far as luck-of-the-draw goes, they have gotten the shaft this year.  This spot should be reserved for Phillip and Jeanine, but the producers have propped him up so high, that they are safe for weeks to come.  They could vomit right on Nigel and sail right on through.

Joe

p.s.-The highlight of our night here was K saying that "Lil C was the boy who cried Buck."

So You Think You Can Dance, Top 20 Week 2

Dear Joe,

So I don't know if I was super impressed with this week's show. There were a couple good couples and everyone else was kind of just so so. 

Randi and Evan's jive was "fun!" and good but not anything super amazing although I do love both of them.

Melissa and Ade did jazz i think? The judges really liked it but I thought that Melissa looked kind of awkward. I didn't really get what the judges were so hyped about.

Kaitlyn and Jason had Shane Sparks hip hop and they were both kind of stiff and weird looking. Not great.

Brandon and Janette were my favorite of the night I think. They had disco and it was crazy and fast and Brandon is so freakin strong. And I love how Janette let everyone know that Brandon hasn't worked out a day in his life...great, just make us all more jealous of his perfect body.

Asuka and Vitolio kind of got the short end of the stick. It sucks to be in the bottom 3 and then get the waltz the next week. The judges thought it was amazing, Mary cried, but I'm not too into the waltz so i wasn't super impressed. I thought the music was boring but I guess they did a good job for a waltz.

Max and Kayla were probably my second favorite of the night with their "pop/jazz" which is definitely a made-up style. I think it was crazy looking and cool and just interesting to watch. Obviously Kayla is a superstar.

Jonathan and Karla were also really really good...actually they may have been better than kayla and Max. Jonathan really stepped up in this and I thought he looked really good even though everyone thought he was going to flop. Oh yeah, and they were doing contemporary.

Philip and Jeanine had a rough night. They did tango and Philip just couldn't get it going. Jeanine looked good but Philip was hurting...I loved the clip they showed of his face when he was lifting her, poor Jeanine.

Kupono and Ashley were not liked at all by the judges. I thought the whole shadow idea was really cool and I actually kind of liked the dance. I was surprised the judges were so unimpressed. 

All in all it was a decent show. Lil C was there to use tons of big and mostly made up words and we got to see 2 new choreographers. I also loved that Nigel always sticks up for the choreographers...he blamed the 2 hip hop dances' lameness on the dancers not being able to interpret Shane well enough. What if those dances were actually just sucky? Who knows. That's all I got for tonight, I was slightly unimpressed overall.

-Emily

Camp Dani '09

Camp Dani '09, originally uploaded by unfinished dad.

Dani arrived from New Zealand last night. This morning the girls naturally gravitated towards their new camp director. The fun started early with coloring and music and continued with English, Math, and, um, nudity? Tomorrow's schedule reveals a day full of juggling, water colors and orienteering.

Alone With T

Alone With T, originally uploaded by unfinished dad.

Summer Camp for Annie has meant a lot to our household. Two quiet mornings a week, longer naps, new friends, and best of all, some alone time with The Pickle.

Time To Potty Train

Annie has had a potty since Christmas.  Like most parents these days, we sometimes fall into the trap of thinking that our children are somehow super human.  As if early potty training would lead her down the path to solving global hunger or figuring out why they don't make station wagons with three rows anymore.  Why couldn't she learn to use the potty at 18 months old?  Those elimination communication parents do it.

I bring this up, because my sister-in-law (I seem to have a lot of those) Dani comes home from New Zealand tomorrow and will be spending much of the summer with us here in Chevy Chase.  She has already told me that her main goal is to potty train one, or both, of my children—mind you she also is working on her thesis.  Due to Dani's imminent arrival, I have been trying to figure out why I haven't had any luck accomplishing this seemingly simple task.  I have come to the conclusion that it is either my lack of wanting poop all over the house, or that Annie simply doesn't understand how to use this.

So You Think You Can...Dip Your Bobs In Poop?

I would love to tell you that the most exciting thing that happened here tonight was Tony and Paris being voted off of SYTYCD.  Emily and I were prepared to email back and forth about the results show, but we both decided that we hate results shows.  The solos are boring, the musical guest is almost always tragic, and the drama doesn't show up for another few weeks, when a dancer you like may actually get cut.  All of the heads on the chopping block tonight were predictable.  In the end, two mediocre dancers went home...in a few weeks I won't remember their names, will you?

Just three hours before Tony and Paris' departure, our resident tantrum thrower, and all around good kid, decided that she wanted no part of her little sister's bedtime.  I didn't have the energy to wrestle her while bathing T—that could lead to drowning, they say—so I chose to let her figure it out alone in her crib.

Lately, Annie has loved "Nakie Baby" time.  Fortunately, she is also getting more in tune with her bodily functions, so she rarely has accidents.  When she does, I usually look back on the situation and see that she gave me all the signs, and I either missed or ignored them.  Tonight, there were no signs.  In fact, Annie didn't say a word about her "situation" while I was in the bathroom.  When Tilda and I finished up, looking spiffy and clean, we went in to Annie's room to get our jammies on.

Here's what we found: Annie sitting in her crib, picking up a less-than-firm pile of poop and painting her legs with it. We also found: Annie sitting in her crib, dipping her beloved Bobs (pacifiers for you new readers) in a slightly smaller, similarly textured mound, and holding them up for us to admire.

I think it is important not to freak out when you have these commonplace events.  So I asked her if she pooped.  She nodded her head and let me pick her up, and calmly clean her off.  The kicker?  She had Trader Joe's meatballs for lunch...they are little culinary miracles in that they smell exactly the same on the way in, and out. 

 

So You Think You Can Dance, Top 20 Week 1

Editor's note: With this brief (some might say annoyed) reply, I think it is time to put an end to the torture that our readers (and apparently contributors) are feeling.

1. No I don't think I'll ever get sick of hearing Cat say joodges, although she didn't really say it for real last night. 

2. I'm thinking they'll probably split up couples to send home...it makes it more interesting anyway.

3. No I didn't vote last night, in fact I have never voted and don't plan on it believe it or not. I know, I'm a terrible fan.

Ok I think it's time to end this, especially since we still have the results to deal with tonight. People might start to think we have no life or something...

-Emily

So You Think You Can Dance, Top 20 Week 1

Emily,

I think that you presumed I meant the three best couples.  What I really meant was the three couples I most enjoyed watching/three cutest girls.  For the record: they were Randi and Evan, Melissa and Ade, and Kayla and Max.  Caitlin and Jason were close to my top three, but narrowly missed out because of Caitlin’s inability to dress herself.  This shouldn’t matter, because during her routines the producers will handle this little issue, but I still find it irksome.

I won’t bother you with my full recap of each couple, because we agree on most of them.  However, I will disagree with you on, wait a sec, I checked my notes (I never judged you) and we are on the same page with every couple.  You and me=geniuses of the first order.

Instead, let me add some notes on the moments that stood out. 

Phillip and Jeanine—You are right, Phillip was awesome.  This is where voting for a couple makes a huge impact on the results.  Jeanine would probably be an also-ran if we voted separately, but nobody in their right mind would let Phillip be in the bottom three, so…Jeanine=Safe.

Randi and Evan—Biggest story here is Evan’s height.  Did you see him next to Cat?  He was a foot shorter than her.  When he lifted Randi I was fearful for her life…I expect a little trouble in the physical arena in the weeks to come.  This may be a scenario where choreographers can't put in all the moves they would like because of their similar size.

Caitlin and Jason—Whoah!  That was some kiss, are they sleeping together already?  Like Mark and Chelsea last year, their chemistry was off the charts.

Jeanette and Brandon—Where was the discussion about that lift?  They mentioned how strong he was, but not how he threw her around like a rag doll...in a positive way.

Melissa and Ade—Okay, let’s start here: Richard Marx?  Are you even old enough to know who he is?  Confession: Right Here Waiting was my song with my 8^th grade girlfriend.  Ouch, that hurt.

Kayla and Max—I wrote what you wrote.  Best of the night.  The only real 9 I gave out on my scoring sheet (remember, this is a judge free zone).  Two things about the dancers individually.  Max is a lesser version of Pasha…he’s lacking Pasha’s charisma (oh, and did Nigel hint that all Russians dance ballroom?).  And Kayla was like a lesser version of Chelsea—at least as far as how quick her steps were and how fast her hips swung (oh, and did the producers fix her makeup? She no longer looks trailery).

That was more than I intended, sorry.  I leave you with these two questions:  Will you ever get sick of hearing Cat say "joodges", and do you think they will send home a complete couple (e.g. Asuka/Vitolio), or split people up (e.g. Asuka/Tony)?

For now,

Joe

p.s.-Did you vote last night?

So You Think You Can Dance, Top 20 Week 1

Dear Joe-

I'm going to both respond to your email and quickly give some comments on each couple, hope that's ok.

First of all, I agree, I'm really liking this top 20 and hopefully we'll find some real favorites :) Are the 3 couples you're referring to Kaitlyn and Jason's Bollywood, Kayla and Max's samba, and Philip and Janine's hip hop?  I'm not sure if I completely buy your conspiracy theory, but i do agree that there was a lot of hip hop and less complex genres tonight. They may just take it easy on the first night...although Brandon and Janette did get ballroom.

Anyway, here are my quick comments (and yes i took notes while i watched, don't judge)::

Philip and Janine- so they did hip hop (as we like to call lyrical hip hop) and i'm not sure if you agree but it seemed a lot like a repeat of Chelsea and Mark's Bleeding Love routine last year. But I thought it was pretty good, and Philip is just awesome.

Asuka and Vitolio- this was a really weird broadway piece...i just wasn't too into it. Tyce needs to step it up a little i think.

Jonathan and Karla- i wish they didn't use that annoying lady ga ga song for a cha cha. Weird. Anyway it was pretty good but nothing too exciting. Best comment of the night: Mary said that she liked her cha cha rough...interesting.

Randi and Evan- I really like Randi and Evan, their jazz was good and i liked it, but it definitely got beat out by some others tonight. And it was funny that Randi felt awkward touching Evan because she's married.

Paris and Tony- probably one of the worst routine's of the night. The song was boring. The pleather was intense. The dancing wasn't terrible but it was boring.

Kaitlyn and Jason- they did Bollywood and it was awesome. Bollywood was a new genre to the show last year and i'm glad they kept it. And whoaaaa there was a real kiss at the end as proven by the lipstick on Jason's face.

Janette and Brandon- they got stuck with ballroom which is always unfortunate. They did some really crazy flying lifts and stuff though which was cool and made up for the boring style they picked. 

Ashley and Kupono- so this was a Wade Robson piece, and I don't think he did any dances last season. I was soooo excited when they said he was choreographing and he certainly lived up to Wade-ness. It was weird and crazy but really cool and they did a good job with it.

Ade and Melissa- Adam cried, Mary screamed. They did contemporary and it was a little cheesy (but i think contemporary is cheesy a lot of the time) but it was really really good. P.S. i didn't even know who Ade was before last night.

Kayla and Max- probably the best of the night. They did a samba and it was amazing. Mary screamed until she lost her voice and all the judges loved it. Kayla is clearly the Kherington/Chelsea of this year (aka the hot young girl who's good at everything). 

Overall I think it was a good night. Can't wait for the results tonight!!! I predict that Tony and Paris will be in the bottom 3 couples.

-Emily