So You Think You Can Dance Canada: A reason to keep your shirt on (spoiler alert)

So what's up, Canada?

That was certainly not the bottom three I was expecting on Tuesday's So You Think You Can Dance Canada results show.

Carlena and Boneless? What? Those two, to me, have been a power couple the last couple of weeks and Boneless is one of my favourite male dancers, so I didn't see that one coming.

While I didn't love his jive, I figured JP's cuteness would keep him safe from bottom three for a while longer, and you can't quarrel with Denitsa's hotness and excellent technique. Maybe Canada isn't so keen on baskets of kittens. 

As for Lauren and Rodrigo, another surprise. Based just on Monday's performances, I would have figured Shelaina and Matt, and Kevin and Teya would be dancing for their lives before Lauren and Rodrigo would. But such is the power of the vote.

In the end, Lauren and Rodrigo were sent home.

"Quite frankly, I'm sad to see any of you in the bottom three," said Jean-Marc Genereux. "I'm sorry, Lauren, that was not enough to keep you here, so you're leaving us tonight," he said, referring to Lauren's solo.

I can see what he meant, although none of the girls' solos had enough dance-for-your-life urgency for me. However, Carlena has an undeniable groove and Denitsa is piping hot even when she's not doing much.

As for the guys, the clear winner of the DFL round was Boneless for me, but I also thought Rodrigo had better energy than JP.

However, Tre Armstrong told Rodrigo he was going home "based on votes."

Guest judge Rex Harrington interrupted to tell the guys the decision wasn't unanimous. "It wasn't unanimous, it was difficult, but we gotta go," said Tre, with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

Rodrigo took the news with a big smile.

"I had the best time, I met the best people in the world. These ones are like my second family," he said, pointing to the other dancers.

"You are a star," said host Leah Miller. "The personality, the way you move, the ladies love when you take your shirt off." 

A tearful Lauren said, "This has been unbelievable. It's been amazing and crazy, and it's really made me want to work so much harder and really improve my craft. And I'm not stopping, this is not the end."

The fun part of the show was an opening group number choreographed by Longinus Fernandes of Slumdog Millionaire fame. I'm no Bollywood expert, but it looked good to me.

Next week, the top 18 dance again for votes. Tune in at 8 p.m. Monday on CTV and catch the recap here. And tell me, do you think the right dancers went home?

Keep watching this space for an exit interview with Rodrigo and Lauren.

(The photo of Rodrigo and Lauren with Leah is courtesy of CTV.)

So You Think You Can Dance Canada videos

I've got four for you this week, folks. I've posted them in the order in which the couples danced on the Monday show. And apologies to Boneless for cutting off the top of his head at the beginning of the clip. Enjoy.

 

 

 

 

Don't forget, results tonight at 8 p.m. on CTV, plus a Bollywood number choreographed by Longinus Fernandes, and I'll have the recap here.

The Bachelorette: Home and away (spoiler alert)

It was more suspenseful trying to figure out what toppings Ashley would put on the pizza she made with Constantine, or whether she or J.P. would fall first at the roller-skating rink than it was figuring out how Monday's episode of The Bachelorette would end.

Let's see: swooning over "gorgeous" Constantine surrounded by his big, adoring, Greek family; admiring Ben's "sexiness" amid his vineyards; admitting to being smitten by J.P. ... and the best she could say about Ames was "I'm not ready to stop learning about him."

Think back to your earliest days with your significant other, if you have one: I'm guessing learning wasn't as big a priority as jumping his or her bones, which is clearly what Ashley didn't want with poor, sweet Ames. 

"I want to feel that passion, I want to feel it with Ames so bad, but I'm missing the romance. I'm still missing the spark between us," she confessed in a voiceover after we'd seen Ames's mother and sister trying to sell Ashley on his many desirable traits.

That kiss they shared as they picnicked under a magnolia tree? That was a pity smooch if ever I saw one.

Yep, Ames was a goner from the get-go as Ashley took her perky self to the last four contenders' hometowns: Chadds Ford, Pa., for Ames; Cumming, Ga., for Constantine; Sonoma, Calif., for Ben; Roslyn, N.Y., for J.P. 

Constantine was first up. The first question I'd be asking myself if I was Ashley was whether I'd ever get a moment of privacy if I married into his brood. First he took her to his family's Italian restaurant, where they made pizza and then the waitresses all spied through a window to see if Ashley and Constantine would kiss over lunch (they did). Then it was home to meet his father, mother and sister where mom Elleni wanted to know if Ashley would be willing to move to Georgia for Constantine ("Yeah, kind of," was her initial answer, hardly a ringing endorsement). Before the evening ended, the house filled up with aunts and uncles and cousins in a surprise for Constantine, sort of like a scene from My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Then he got to kiss her goodnight in front of a cheering crowd. 

But Ashley considered the whole thing "amazing" (an overused word if ever I heard one).

The visit to Ben's winery and, later, to his beloved mother and sister couldn't have been more different in tone. First there was a sombre picnic on a porch in the pouring rain as Ben confessed that he couldn't be with anyone that his mom and sister didn't like and, oh yeah, he'd only ever brought one woman home to meet mommy. Gulp. And Ben and his mother are still clearly mourning his dead father. Despite sister Julia's pointed questions (yikes, no wonder most of his relationships haven't lasted long), Ashley got the seal of approval, so the showmance, I mean the romance, can go on.

Ashley told Ben she'd miss him and later confessed she could see herself spending the rest of her life with Ben.

Nonetheless, she seemed most connected to J.P. There were plenty of passionate hugs and kisses as they skated around the otherwise empty roller rink in the glow of a disco ball, sipping wine from paper cups (all that was missing were the Abba tunes). But J.P. has some serious baggage and a family that's more than willing to carry it around for him. Mom Ilene and brother Roy made sure Ashley knew how badly J.P.'s heart had been broken in his last serious relationship and how fervently they wanted to protect him from having it happen again. But Ilene saw enough of a "spark" in Ashley's face to think that she and J.P. had a chance. And Ashley's take was that the family was "open and accepting."

Next thing you know she was back in L.A. and it was rose ceremony time, and even Ben's haircut (doesn't he know she was digging the long hair?) couldn't dissuade Ashley from giving him the first rose. 

J.P. was next, then Constantine, leaving Ames looking as dazed as when he got his clock punched during that Thai boxing match.

The ever-present brilliant white smile hardly ever left his face, though, even when he lamented, "I was hoping to share a lifetime of adventures with this beautiful woman and now I'm back to sharing a lifetime of adventures with myself, which is less enticing."

Next week, it's off to Fiji and the always exciting fantasy suite dates. Will Ashley and J.P. have a falling out? Who's the mystery person who flies to Fiji? Who's the bachelor that Ashley's sister (I assume the tattooed woman in the promo was her sister) doesn't like?

All will be revealed Monday at 8 p.m. on Citytv, then you can catch the recap here.

(The photo of Ashley and Ames is by Ken White for ABC.)

So You Think You Can Dance Canada: Laughter through the tears

Sometimes dance is a vehicle for conveying serious messages about life and sometimes it's just about the joy of movement.

We got both on So You Think You Can Dance Canada on Monday, with the best routines of the night falling into both camps.

First, the show started with an explanation and an apology.

Judge Jean-Marc Genereux explained why Adam Asselin-Rioux, eliminated last week, was invited back to next season's finals despite having already danced in this season's top 22.

Because Adam had injured his hip flexor just before performing on last Monday's show and because he was still in pain on Tuesday's results show, “he couldn't really show us or Canada what he could do,” Jean-Marc said.

He also offered an apology to Rodrigo Basurto for telling him to “pick it up” after last Tuesday's solo.

Turns out Rodrigo hit his head at the start of his number, resulting in a neck injury and a mild concussion, which explains why the performance wasn't up to par. Lots of us missed it when it happened, including the judges, host Leah Miller and me.

“I just couldn't figure it out because I know how Rodrigo can do a solo,” said guest judge Mary Murphy.

Luckily, Rodrigo's fine and was able to dance for Monday's show. 

Here's how the routines went, in order from my most to least favourite. And bear in mind, these are just my personal opinions and how the routines resonated with me and, in some cases, the differences between one ranking and the next are very, very tiny:

Melissa Mitro and Shane Simpson: Shane and Melissa had the unenviable task of making believable a Sabrina Matthews contemporary routine with a heavy message: about a woman comforting her best friend newly diagnosed with HIV. They accomplished that and also danced beautifully into the bargain, both displaying lovely lines, doing difficult lifts with ease and dancing with an undeniable power and commitment. That's why they're at the top of my list, not because of the standing ovation and the tears from the judges. "You need to know how rare it was, just like a great painting," said Mary, who lost a dance partner to AIDS. "It's an honour to sit here and watch you dance so magnificently ... it was so believable and raw. That's why it brought me to tears.... You're automatically in the top 10, without question.” Guest judge Rex Harrington concurred, saying it brought to mind the anguish of watching a lover die of AIDS then having to get tested himself. Tre Armstrong called it “the most stunning piece of the night for me so far.”

Lindsay Leuschner and Christian Millette: Mary went out on a limb here and declared Lindsay and Christian her favourite dancers in the competition. It's easy to see why after watching this Blake McGrath-choreographed contemporary routine. Christian, a ballroom dancer, was able to take the confusion he confessed in rehearsal and turn it into a strong and nuanced performance onstage. The theme was the power of touch, and Christian and Lindsay were able to touch everyone in the studio with their intense performance. Mary called it “believable and breathable.... It was gorgeous,” and gave the couple first class tickets on her Hot Tamale Train. "Can I just say there's a new chemistry professor in the house here and I believe his name is Christian," she said. Rex praised Lindsay for her "understanding of movement and breath." "She is music, she is freedom and the both of you are fantastic," said Jean-Marc. "I'm so proud of this trio, Blake, Christian and Lindsay."

Jordan Clark and Joey Arrigo: The self-described serious contemporary dancers had a challenge of a different sort, to present a comic Sean Cheesman jazz number about a girl and boy on a first date at the movies. If the routine had just been about the comedy, it might have been good but not great; however, it also delivered challenging lifts and flips and synchronized steps, which Jordan and Joey executed flawlessly and seemingly effortlessly. It had the judges on their feet, Sean jumping for joy and the crowd cheering like crazy. "Only the two of you could have pulled that (side-by-side) section off with the movment, with the feeling, with the technique," Mary said. "You two are definitely the power couple to beat." Jean-Marc went even further: "I might be looking at the champion of Season 4 right there on that stage," he said.

Carlena Britch and Boneless Gulston: This couple is sure on a roll, literally as it turned out on Monday night with a JaeBlaze dancehall routine. I'm so pleased to see this style of dance return to the SYTYCDC stage. It's one of the things that sets this show apart from its U.S. cousin and it's a style I love to watch (hell, I wish I could do it). Carlena and Boneless gave another fantastic performance, following up on their hip-hip triumph of last week, even though Carlena had trouble with the style in rehearsal. And Boneless was just on fire. "Boneless, you just, bam, knocked that one down, didn't you? Carlena, you were fearless like (JaeBlaze) wanted you to be," said Mary. “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the new king and queen of swag,” declared Rex. “This is what we call a riddim in Jamaica,” said Tre, who leaped to her feet after the routine along with Jean-Marc. “But we don't want to get rid of none of them, do we?” No, probably not.

Adam LoPapa and Yuliya Zavadska: Let's do a little travelling, shall we, and head from Jamaica to Brazil. That was the origin of this samba choreographed by Gustavo Vargas. Though both Adam and Yuliya were having some trouble with their “booty” in rehearsal, they'd worked it all out by the time they hit the stage. The number was crazy fast, crazy energetic and crazy hot. It mixed capoeira in with the sexy street samba, and Adam and Yuliya were both strong and connected. "You guys are gonna have to change your website to hotdancers.com," Mary told them. "We've heard this phrase before, shake your money-maker. I think they made a lot of money tonight. I think they might be billionaires, Jean-Marc,” she said. "It was sort of like beauty and the beast," said Rex. "Adam, you were this beast around her."

Rodrigo Basurto and Lauren Lyn: This Luther Brown hip-hop routine was about who had the most swag and salsa dancer Lauren gave hip-hop dancer Rodrigo a run for his money, which is hard to do because Rodrigo is, to use Rex's word, “swagalicious.” “You can take off your shirt at every show, it's fine,” he told Rodrigo as the audience roared approval. "That's how the votes work, don't you know?" Mary praised Lauren for keeping up with Rodrigo and Tre praised her for her great stage presence. Jean-Marc said Rodrigo's concussion made him "a little crazier."

(By the way, I inadvertently slighted Luther last week. I loved the routine he choreographed that opened last Tuesday's show, a terrific hip-hop number that blended in ballroom, but I forgot to mention it in my results show recap, so I'm sayin' now.)

Francois Pruneau and Geisha Chin: Last week, these two ended up in bottom three and their partners were eliminated. I'm hoping they do better in the votes this week because, for a ballroom and a contemporary dancer, they did a great job with a very fast hip-hop routine from new choreographer Tucker Barkley. "I am just crazy over the two of you right now," Mary said. Francois was dubbed BBB, “buck ballroom boy,” by Mary and “Franswag” by Tre. And Jean-Marc put them on his VID list, very insane dancers. "You both turned the heat on," he said. Rex said he actually thought hip-hop was their original genre until he consulted his cheat sheet.

JP Dube and Denitsa Ikonomova: This ranking stuff is not an exact science. JP and Denitsa did a perfectly respectable job with this jive choreographed by Danny Arbour (and a shout-out to Danny, a Season 1 competitor returning to the show as a choreographer), but I didn't love it as much as some of the other routines. JP needed a little more emphasis and sharpness, and to dance right through the transitions. The judges generally liked the number, although Tre said JP's kicks could have been sharper and Jean-Marc said he needed to be lighter and faster in his transitions. But Rex said Denitsa reminded him of Cyd Charisse. As for JP, “you're cute as a basket of kittens, but sometimes you've got to tone that down a little bit,” Rex said.

Kevin Howe and Teya Wild: Kevin was one of my favourite dancers coming out of finals week, so it's disappointing to see him falter on a performance night. He had a good week last week with a contemporary routine but was out of his element with this Viennese waltz, choreographed by Pierre Allaire, as was hip-hop dancer Teya. It wasn't awful, but it didn't have the romantic abandon that you'd want from this technically demanding dance. I still love Kevin's lines, though, and Teya looked very pretty. Ballroom expert Mary said she could see Kevin and Teya working too much and the lifts were laboured. Tre agreed and said the emotion of the piece wasn't believable. She drew boos when she said Kevin was turning out not to be a memorable competitor ("I'll prove myself," was Kevin's response). “You guys did it, but it just wasn't enough,” said Tre.

Shelaina Anderson and Matt Marr: I hate to do it, but somebody's got to be at the bottom of the list and this week it's Shelaina and Matt, who are both very good dancers. That being said, this hustle routine choreographed by Maria Torres lacked spark. They were doing the steps but not living them. Matt looked great in his intro and pirouette, but some of the steps were a little “stand and deliver.” And while he and Shelaina pulled off the difficult lifts, the movements didn't flow enough, one to the other. “Disco was about being free and fun and moving," said Rex. "Both of you need to work the hips more. Let it go; it's disco; it's fun, you know, shake it." Jean-Marc agreed with the critiques but said Shelaina and Matt are “so sweet and I'm sure Canada loves you, too.”

We'll soon see whom Canada loves. The results show airs Tuesday at 8 p.m. on CTV, with an opening Bollywood number created by Longinus Fernandes, choreographer for Slumdog Millionaire. Hope you watch and catch the recap here.

And don't forget, you can follow me on Twitter here. 

(The photo of Melissa and Shane is courtesy of CTV.)

Jillian Harris has a new TV job

No hearts will be harmed in the newest TV gig for former Bachelorette Jillian Harris.

The Peace River, Alta., native will host Canada's Handyman Challenge, which airs on HGTV.

Before she became known as a Bachelor competitor and star of Season 5 of The Bachelorette, Jillian was an interior designer. Barb Williams, senior vice-president of content for Shaw Media, said Jillian's "critically acclaimed design skills and aptitude for television make her an ideal match to the incredible talent already committed to this show."

The judges for the cross-Canada challenge include Mike Holmes, Bryan Baeumler and Scott McGillivray.

Besides her TV experience with the Bachelor franchise, Jillian also appears on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition in the U.S.

HGTV says she'll be travelling across the country this summer to find Handyman contestants.

In a news release, Jillian said, "I love that I will be able to combine my love of design while working alongside the expert HGTV judges and get to witness the talent that this country has to offer will be an incredibly fun journey."

Sure, it didn't work out with Ed Swiderski, but who needs a man when you have a TV career?

(The photo of Jillian was provided by The Vanguard PR.)

So You Think You Can Dance Canada: Cassandra and Adam A's exit interview

They're out but not down.

I had a chance to chat with Cassandra Flammini, 18, of Toronto and Adam Asselin-Rioux, 21, of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., the day after they were eliminated from the SYTYCD Canada top 22.

Cassandra's looking to the example of Hani Abaza, who was cut at this stage in Season 3 and has been working steadily since, including as an assistant to revered choreographer Mia Michaels (he oversaw the shoot of the Season 4 promo, for instance, when Mia returned to the U.S.).

And Adam, whose attitude toward dance reminds me of Season 3 winner Denys Drozdyuk, is thrilled that he gets to return to the Season 5 finals.

Here's an edited version of our talk:

DY: First off, I’m sorry that you guys got eliminated last night because being the first is never fun. How are you feeling about everything today?

A: Well firstly, I don’t feel bad ... I had, like, this crazy opportunity to come back because I was eliminated in finals, so basically just  getting back here and seeing everyone and performing and having a chance to get back on the show was like, it was my dream ... because I was gonna come back next year, since I got to the finals top 40, I was like, okay, I can do better next year, I’m just gonna smash it. I’m gonna work on my things ... I'm just so glad to be here right now and everything just happened so fast. You know, I didn’t have that much time to enjoy it, but I just feel so honoured right now. Yeah, it was awesome ... I've been into a lot of dance tours and I've done a lot of things, but there’s nothing that compares to that, that weird crazy feeling that everybody’s there and it’s television, like everybody in Canada sees you ... there's no words to describe the feeling that I feel right now.

DY: What about you Cassandra, did you find the same thing?

C: I was in shock really because of the comments that we got (on her rumba with Francois Pruneau), because we got all positive coments. It was really just the voting. I was happy I took it in a positive way instead of taking it like, I'm gonna go bawl my eyes out ... I wasn’t gonna sob for myself because Monday we did such a good job and had such good comments that bringing myelf down wasn’t going to get me anywhere and I just have to think that everything’s happening for a reason. It was just such an amazing ride for me, the journey has been crazy, like being around these friggin’ dancers. It’s just like, it was everything. I'm obviously bummed, I obviously would like to stay, but I got to show a genre that I didn’t do and (the judges) liked it. I got to show them that I'm a versatile dancer.

Q: And it was really good Monday, you as well (Adam) and also I loved your solo last night. Now tell me about what you did to your hip. 

A: Actually, during the rehearsal with Geisha, it’s my hip flexor, it’s a tiny muscle. Every time that I did hip movements or things like that it really hurts. So yeah, I just had to work on that, work it off. Obviousy I couldn’t just not dance and let Geisha down because she has been through a lot of things. Having me for partner, first of all, I didn’t get the publicity that everybody has so that was really difficult for her ... and since I was injured it was really hard for her. I'm just so glad that she’s on (the show). When I was on the show, when I was dancing, you get that rush of adrenalin so you don’t think about it and you just dance it off. Always the paramedics were there icing it and hot and cold ... It hurts for sure, but right now I'm just gonna relax it, take it more easy for probably two, three weeks. My mom is a masseuse ... so she’s gonna help me a lot just to get back on track.

DY: For both of you, what sort of things are you hoping to work on now, whether it’s classes you're gonna take or just going out for jobs and so forth?

C: I’m working on my visa so I can move to L.A. so I’m just gonna try and do any jobs that will help me. I can fly out and assist people so they know I'm working, so that’s my goal, just travelling and doing as many jobs as I can.

A: For sure, I'm gonna take a lot of workshops, a lot of classes. I want to get back to my old basics I did when I was starting because I did a lot of circus things, theatre, gymnastics, things like that, so all of that complements the dance ... It’s not just about the dance, you’ve got to have personality, you’ve got to give to the audience and give to the camera, and know how to work the show ... And there’s so much to do in so (little) time. I just feel so honoured ... I'm the first one that has the opportunity to do the show, be in the top 22 and just go back next year. This is crazy, no one has that opportunity. There’s no words to describe the feeling that I have right now. It feels so good.

DY: What would you say is the most important thing you both learned from being on the show, whether it was about dancing or just yourself?

C: I think what I learned was even though I got kicked off first, I see Hani and Taylor James (one of the first eliminated in Season 2), they’re all working in L.A. I’d really like to learn to not let that put me down, to know this is only gonna make me stronger ... I used to handle rejection really bad so I learned how to handle it well, because to me it’s not about the dancing, it’s about who votes, so I wasn’t gonna put myself down on the dancing part. So I literally took what just happened last night and worked towards what I want to do.

A: You learn so much in so (little) time because there’s a lot to do, so basically I would say you learn a lot on yourself ... like different types of working processes and like not having to sleep. It’s really hard on your body. You're always constantly trying to improve your styles, your different connections and things like that ... I'm gonna really work on the judges’ comments. They’re the particular stuff that makes you grow as a dancer. They pinpoint everything that bugs their eyes and it just gives you so much to work on ... because no dancer has a perfect routine, you always have something just to work on. And that’s a bit of the challenge of the show. Every day you've just got to persevere ... there’s so much to do and so much to learn from so many different types of dance, so many different types of choreographers and teachers ... It’s a crazy environment, it’s a crazy life, but when you like dancing, you don’t kind of see it like that, you just have fun dancing.

Lastly, here's the video I did with Adam and Cassandra when they visited the Star. I have to apologize for the sound quality. The air conditioning in our cafeteria was really noisy, so I'm going to find a new spot for my interviews.

 

The SYTYCDC top 20 will dance again in Monday's episode. I hope to have more videos for you from the taping as well as my recap on Monday. Tune in at 8 p.m. Monday on CTV and keep reading.

(The photos of Adam and Cassandra are courtesy of CTV.)

So You Think You Can Dance: The Top 10 revealed (spoiler alert)

(Ryan Ramirez and Ricky Jaime do a Broadway number on So You Think You Can Dance in a Fox photo by Adam Rose.)

Can't say I didn't see these cuts coming.

The two dancers sent home on Thursday's So You Think You Can Dance, just missing spots in the top 10, were Ryan Ramirez and Alexander Fost.

Ryan really struggled on Wednesday's show and Alexander, despite a great showing on Wednesday, has been dancing in partner Sasha Mallory's shadow since the beginning.

Nigel Lythgoe found fault with both Ryan's and Alexander's solos on Thursday.

"Tonight, your solo let you down very badly technically," he told Alexander. "You didn’t lock your legs in your pirouettes. And I'm sorry, even though last night you really showed us what you could do, tonight I'm sorry, you will be going home."

The decision was not unanimous, however, with one holdout among judges Nigel and Mary Murphy and guests Sonya Tayeh and Jesse Tyler Ferguson.

But the judges all agreed it was Ryan's time to go.

"Ryan, we felt as though you were a little lacklustre last night and I don’t think we felt that you actually did your solo as well as we know you can dance this evening," Nigel said.

"You seem down and depressed before you even start. You always have to get on that stage and just be ready for any kind of performance."

I disagree with Nigel on one point. I thought Sasha's solo was fantastic. It wasn't as showy as Caitlynn's, but I thought it had a really nice flow. But what do I know?

Perhaps the most disappointing news of the night was that Canadian dancer Alex Wong, who was so phenomenal in Season 7 until he injured his Achilles tendon and had to drop out, has injured the tendon in his other foot. This means he cannot join Season 8 as an all-star, which is really bad news.

Nigel explained that Alex was auditioning for a show on Saturday night and "doing the same step with them as he did when he snapped the tendon on his right foot" on SYTYCD last season. "He snapped the tendon on his left foot," Nigel said.

"He’s terribly, terribly upset."

Alex tweeted Thursday night, "Hi All, it is in fact true. I was dancing and snapped it Saturday night. I just came out of surgery. I am shocked, thanks for your support!"

Aw, Alex, I am still anticpating the day you return to the SYTYCD stage.

However, we still have nine other all-stars ready to dance with the top 10 starting next week: Melody from Season 1; Allison from Season 2; Pasha from Season 3; Twitch, Comfort and Chelsie from Season 4; Brandon from Season 5; Kathryn from Season 6; and Robert from Season 7.

We already know how excellent Pasha and Allison and Twitch and Comfort were last season. And I particularly love Brandon and Kathryn, so no worries, we still have some great dancing ahead.

And let's cheer one other piece of good news before I end: Cat Deeley has finally been nominated for an Oscar for Best Host of a Reality Competition Show. It's about time. Go Cat!

Also, the show itself has been nominated for Best Reality Competition Program for the first time ever.

And out of five Emmy noms for Best Choreography, SYTYCD took four of them, including one for Canada's Stacey Tookey, who is up for her "Mad World," "Sundrenched World" and "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" routines. (The fifth nomination went to Dancing With the Stars routines choreographed by Mark Ballas.)

So go Stacey too! I think Mia Michaels can share.

Besides Stacey and Mia, Travis Wall, Mandy Moore, and Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo are also nominated for SYTYCD routines, including the stellar "Outta Your Mind," which was danced by Twitch and Alex Wong last season.

That's it until next Wednesday when the top 10 perform both together and with the all-stars.

Just so you know, the top 10 includes Melanie Moore, Marko Germar, Jordan Casanova, Tadd Gadduang, Mitchell Kelly, Caitlynn Lawson, Ricky Jaime, Sasha Mallory, Clarice Ordaz and Jess LeProtto.

Tune in at 8 p.m. on CTV and look for the recap here.

So You Think You Can Dance: Like moths to flames

(The top 12 on So You Think You Can Dance in a Fox photo by Adam Rose.)

Wednesday's So You Think You Can Dance was the last time that the top 12 dancers got to perform as couples. In some cases, those couples rose to the occasion, doing their best work of the season so far.

And then there were Melanie and Marko, who started as the season's strongest couple and finished at the top of their game. The Dee Caspary contemporary routine they danced was so good I'm not sure I even have words to describe it. Dancing almost seems too mundane a word for what they did onstage.

I have ranked the night's routines from my most to least favourite, but in some cases the differences between them is extremely tiny: 

Melanie Moore and Marko Germar, contemporary: Guest judge Jesse Tyler Ferguson (who may not have contributed much in the way of critique but at least was funny) described this Dee Caspary routine as the "moth dance" because the main prop was a bare lightbulb that Melanie and Marko moved around. But it also fits if you think of us, the viewers, as moths drawn to the couple's very bright flame. I couldn't begin to break down how they moved on that stage because, as Nigel Lythgoe said, "this didn't feel like you'd been choreographed." The flow, the passion, the commitment to the movement was among the best I've seen on the SYTYCD stage. 

Sasha Mallory and Alexander Fost, jazz: I think this is the best thing Sasha and Alexander have done as a couple and not least because Alexander finally became her equal on that stage. They both seemed rapturous as they performed this Tyce Diorio routine to Aretha Franklin singing "That's Life." It felt like more than just dance steps; it felt like they abandoned themselves to the movement. "Alexander, this is what I've been praying and hoping for this whole season," said guest judge Sonya Tayeh. "You dove in and you looked amazing. Keep the shell broken."

Jordan Casanova and Tadd Gadduang, contemporary: This was another breakthrough. I have sometimes felt that Jordan's dancing was a little one-note because she was too focused on being sexy, but she really impressed me here. Travis Wall choreographed a very dark piece in which Jordan was a vulture preying on a wanderer until he bests her and kills her. Jordan brought wonderful intensity to her role, and both she and Tadd danced very strongly and had gorgeous lines. "This is just a true artistry that makes me want to cry," Sonya said. Jesse joked that "Travis took the classic vulture stalks boy, boy almost succumbs to vulture, boy kills vulture tale that we know so well." And he said Tadd proved "that the guys are in this to win it, not to borrow from another reality show, but you're in it to win it," with an imitation of American Idol judge Randy Jackson that had Nigel covering his ears.

Melanie and Marko, tango: I was sort of feeling complacent about this one until Marko dipped Melanie right off the edge of the stage, balancing her on his knee, and then I sat up and took notice. Granted, it was Louis Van Amstel (the Dancing With the Stars pro, whose name was misspelled as "Louie" in the onscreen titles) who came up with the choreography, but Melanie and Marko's execution was excellent and demonstrated once again what strong dancers they are. The move at the end where Marko pulled Melanie backward through his legs and then back out the other way was amazing. Ballroom expert Mary Murphy did point out there were "a few awkward shapes," but Nigel noted they were doing moves that professionals take years to learn. And Sonya said that "even when you falter a little I still trust you because the intention in your face doesn't change."

Jess LeProtto and Clarice Ordaz, lyrical hip hop: At one point on Wednesday, Nigel expressed a fear that Jess and Clarice might be in danger on Thursday and I sincerely hope he's wrong. Jess has been one of my favourite dancers since the beginning. This Christopher Scott piece, about a man trying to convince a woman that she's beautiful, started out a bit slow but turned into a sweet routine. The movements were precise and intricate without being flashy, and were danced with aplomb by Jess and Clarice. "You're just adorable, you're always so adorable, every time I watch you I just go eeeeee," said Sonya.

Caitlynn Lawson and Mitchell Kelly, contemporary: I'm kind of guessing on the genre here. I'm not certain if it was actually mentioned, so this could also have been jazz. It wasn't the best piece that Mitchell and Caitlynn have danced, but it certainly showed us a new side of Caitlynn, who channelled her inner rock goddess and looked fabulous doing it. Travis Wall wanted her to be a rock star who's just found out the man she loves is married, set to Janis Joplin's "Piece of My Heart." She and Mitchell both danced strongly in a routine that was full of passion, but it was hard to take your eyes off Caitlynn, especially when she kicked her stocking-clad legs high in the air. "Slightly naughty, a lttle intense, gutsy and I loved it," Mary said.

Sasha and Alexander, paso doble: There's nothing wrong with this Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin routine, and Sasha and Alexander certainly danced it well. I admired how long and lean they both looked in this non-traditional paso, which gave Sasha a more dominant role than that usually played by the woman, but I guess I wanted them to be a little meaner, too. At times, I felt their attack wasn't as intense as it should have been. But the judges loved it, including the kiss Sasha gave Alexander at the end. "This routine was hot, it was on fire," Mary said.

Jess and Clarice, jive: I was expecting big things from this routine choreographed by Tony and Melanie. Jess and Clarice both danced the fast steps really well, especially the kicks, but something was missing. I kept waiting for the performance to hit this crazy level of manic energy and it never quite did, even though it was entertaining. Nigel said he got a little uncomfortable when Jess had to do lifts and Mary said the number lost steam as they progressed, although Clarice "never let up." Jesse Tyler Ferguson didn't have anything useful to say about the dance, but he did mention Thursday morning's Emmy nominations and his hope that host Cat Deeley finally gets the nomination she deserves. "You are one of the greatest reality show hosts and you deserve to be recognized," he said. Hear, hear!

Ricky Jaime and Ryan Ramirez, cha cha: Poor Ryan wasn't having a good night. Her and Ricky's Broadway routine got panned by the judges earlier and she was criticized for sloppy footwork in this piece choreographed by Louis Van Amstel. To me, it didn't look like she really committed to the movement. Ricky, however, got a ride on Mary's Hot Tamale Train. "Ricky, you were basking in it, you were enjoying it and celebrating," Sonya said.

Ricky and Ryan, Broadway: At first I liked this Spencer Liff routine, about a movie star in a poster that comes alive to a man waiting outside a theatre, better than the judges did, but on watching it again I see what they meant about Ryan and Ricky not connecting fully with the style. It started with a bang, though. When Ryan kicked one long leg in the air before stepping out of the poster frame, I thought we were in for a treat. It wasn't that Ricky and Ryan danced badly, but they didn't inhabit their characters as much as they could have.

Jordan and Tadd, Broadway: It wasn't a great night for Broadway numbers. Jordan and Tadd followed up their vulture dance triumph with a fluffy routine that had Jordan as a sleeping beauty awakened by Tadd's kiss. I didn't love Spencer Liff's choreography in this one, but also, it seemed that Jordan and Todd were play-acting rather than being the characters, particularly Jordan. This isn't the first time she's had trouble with a routine that required her to pretend she was attracted to Tadd. Nigel said they should have been quirkier and Mary said the piece was like too much cotton candy.

Caitlynn and Mitchell, hip hop: This seems like a case of the choreographer letting the couple down. Christopher Scott obviously had the best of intentions creating a routine about children who are forced to fight wars in Northern Uganda and the Congo but, like the judges, I found a disconnect between the message and the actual steps. Caitlynn and Mitchell beseeched the audience for help with pained looks on their faces rather than expressing believable emotions through movement. "What's this got to do with abductees in the Congo?" asked Nigel. I couldn't agree more. The judges also complained that Caitlynn and Mitchell weren't in unison, but Mary said their performance was completely respectable.

Thursday's show is a big deal because not only do we learn the top 10, we find out which all-stars will be dancing this year. Tune in at 8 p.m. on CTV for those answers and look for the recap here.

So You Think You Can Dance Canada: Two cuts and an invitation (spoiler alert)

(Dancers await their fate on the first results show of So You Think You Can Dance Canada Season 4 in a CTV photo.)

It seems to me the hardest cuts on any So You Think You Can Dance are the first ones of the season and the ones just before top 10.

On Tuesday, SYTYCD Canada let its first two dancers of Season 4 go, but there was a twist at the end that made the eliminations a bit easier to take.

First off, there were some surprises in the bottom three as well as in whom the judges chose to send home.

I could understand Rodrigo and Lauren being in the bottom. Their cha cha was highly entertaining but a bit sloppy technically. And there were some technical issues with Adam A. and Geisha's new disco, even though the routine was fun to watch.

But I thought Francois and Cassandra's rumba was really well executed, so their predicament surprised me.

I did breathe a sigh of relief, though, when Shelaina and Matt were declared safe. Shelaina was the first girl eliminated last season because of her foot injury. It would have sucked beyond belief for her to be back in bottom three again this go-round.

The dancer I felt worst for on Tuesday was Adam Asselin-Rioux (and by the way, I said in Monday's post that he's 20, he's actually 21). Imagine just missing a shot at the top 22, getting called up to replace an injured dancer and then getting cut the first time you perform. It's no wonder he was crying as he stood next to host Leah Miller, who looked like she was holding back tears of her own.

But soon the tears were mixed with smiles because Jean-Marc Genereux invited Adam back to finals in Season 5.

"You were injured last night and it was unfair to let you dance," Jean-Marc explained, referring to the fact that Adam had hurt his hip a half-hour before performing. "We probably shouldn't have let you dance."

Sadly, there was no reprieve for Cassandra Flammini. 

Tre Armstrong gave a stern talking to all three girls about their solos.

"Let me be honest and say I really wasn't that impressed with some of your solos. In my opinion, that is not called dancing for your life."

She warned Lauren and Geisha to pick it up and told Cassandra, "You are definitely sexy and beautiful, okay, but you weren't as strong as the other dancers, so I'm sorry that you're going tonight, love."

I can see Tre's point. None of the girls' solos knocked me out, although I thought Lauren's was the best.

But on the guys' side, I'm still not certain how Adam's solo didn't save him, notwithstanding what Jean-Marc said about his injury.

I loved Francois's fast feet, his smile and his cheeky wink at the end, but Adam made me gasp out loud when he bent backwards almost double, lowering himself to the stage. 

The whole solo was incredibly powerful and passionate and reminded me of what we'll be missing every week.

Rodrigo's solo was the weakest of the bunch, I thought, too reliant on acrobatics and playing to the screaming girls, so I expected to hear that he was the one going home.

Instead, Jean-Marc told him, "Rodrigo, you've got to pull up and come back with a better plan, but you are safe, too." 

Monday's performance show was exceptionally strong. With two dancers gone, and four others getting a taste of doom, I'll be interested to see if next Monday's show is even stronger.

You can tune in on CTV at 8 p.m. and look for the recap here.

And check back here Wednesday for an interview with Adam and Cassandra.

A sneak peek at The X Factor

We already knew that a three-minute promo for The X Factor is expected to air during the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, but we'll also be able to see it in Canada during So You Think You Can Dance on Wednesday night, CTV says.

CTV's PR department tweeted Tuesday that the clip will air sometime during the performance show, which begins at 8 p.m. on CTV.

The Hollywood Reporter says the promo was produced by head judge and executive producer Simon Cowell, and was made over two days in Miami and Los Angeles. But it's more than just audition clips, Fox Sports president Eric Shanks told THR.

“It's big and bold and is very much Simon being Simon and showing off the fruits of his labour."

I'm intrigued. Are you?