So You Think You Can Dance – Season 5 – The Final Performance – VIDEO

I think that’s the first time I’ve ever thought Wade’s chore was meh too….

ETA:
Jeanine and Evan – Evan did well enough but it really was all about Jeanine for me. She definitely got the strong, woman part across.

Brandon’s solo: I’d agree that it seemed more frantic tonight. But he still defies gravity in some of his tricks and his technique, lines, and movement are unbelievable for this competition.

I just can’t take my eyes off Jeanine. It doesn’t matter who else is there or what they’re doing – I just see her. And I really liked the Evan/Jeanine dance. He just has such short little arms.

The first number by Wade was good. No one really stood out. (maybe Jeanine slightly). They were all great.

Jeanine and Evan- Fantastic routine and I thought they were both amazing. Jeanine seemed to really enjoy beating up on Evan. LOL. Sonya choreography was perfect for both of them. Portraying Jeanine as the strong confident one and Evan as the one doing his best but getting beat up on. Hmmm kind of like what is happening in the competition.

Brandon’s solo-Basically what he did last week only more frantic. Not as impressive.

September 9? Wow, that’s quick. SYTYCD definitely earned its right to be in the fall line-up, but what am I going to watch in the summers now?

Sonya has done some great stuff this year. I’m excited to see her choreography tonight.

Evan? Seriously? Ugh. Best dancer, best dancer, best dancer…the best dancer should win!!

Best dancer? So why did Benji win? Or Sabra?

Brandon and Kayla-Not all that impressed. Danced well but no chemistry. Lacked something for me. There was a detachment. Movement with no feeling. They were out of sync in some spots too. Judges way over praised these two. Jeanine and Evans routine was so much better.

Jeanine Solo-Good but not great for me. Did not deserve a standing ovation. She did great pirouettes but the routine was not spectacular. Judges are getting sickening for me. They want her to win. How can they make the comments they are before all the other dances. Sounds a lot like Paula when she said in top 13 Adam and Danny were going all the way to the finals. (I voted for Adam in the end but that was way too early to make that call. If they said these comments at the end of the show I may be more willing to accept them.

If the best dancer was suppose to win I think they would say America’s Best Dancer. (like America’s Best Dance Crew) but no they do say favorite dancer.

Best dancer? So why did Benji win? Or Sabra?

That’s why I said…the best dancer should win. :)

Evan? Seriously? Ugh. Best dancer, best dancer, best dancer’ ¦the best dancer should win!!

BUT it’s for America’s favourite dancer, not necessarily the best dancer.

Missed the first part of the show, but just saw Brandon and Kayla. Brandon was stellar as usual, but Kayla was nowhere near his equal.

I love EVAN! I like the group routine and the first routine. Love brandon an and kayla’s performance too. I don’t know who’s gonna win tommotow ! Evans my favorite. Though

YMMV. They won so there’s a great chance and precedent that Evan could win over better dancers.

I didn’t like the Wade group number at all. Evan and Jeanine’s routine was just OK for me, but I’m not always a fan of Sonya’s choreography. As usual I LOVED Brandon. His solo last week was better, but there was no way he was going to top that. And I enjoyed the broadway routine with Kayla and Brandon. It was some really cool tricks in it, and wasn’t cheesy at all.

I too think the judges want a girl to win, but I just can’t shake this feeling that Evan has a chance to pull it out and win tomorrow night. Oh well. I’m still rooting for Brandon. lol

Best dancer? So why did Benji win? Or Sabra?

IDK… Benji got pity votes because his girlfriend got married to someone else? Sabre? I have no idea…. Neither of those two were my picks. Neither was Joshua in S4 so what do I know?

Brandon and Kayla: Good Broadway routine. The only thing that bothered me was when their fouette/pirouettes got off.

Jeanine’s Solo: Awesome!

LOVE Kayla! :D

I can’t wait to see the girls’ performance by Mia!

Maybe it’s my TV, but I think the lighting SUCKZ! I like the usual theater much better.. :(

I don’t think they want or have ever wanted Jeanine to win, but she’s more than proven herself and they give her the praise she deserves. She should win based on the all the factors: technique, personality, excitement, and execution. .

The judges just don’t get it. The more they put Evan down, the more people are going to vote for him. What are they going to do if Evan wins?????

Evan and Brandon- Good routine. Admittedly Brandon was slightly better but Evan held his own. Brandon did not look happy about what the judges were saying about Evan. (he gained points from me.) I think these two are really friends. They both had really good chemistry and were in sync. Evan’s body type went against him in this number. Brandon’s muscularity was better suited. Still love Evan though. I have to say so far it seems they are doing everything they can to make sure Evan does not win. This choreography was so geared to Brandon’s Strength.

Jeanine and Kayla-Not impressed with this routine at all. Danced well but did not help or hurt either dancer. Yes they want a female dancer to win. Nigel=PIG!

Brandon and Evan – Absolutely agree with the judges, Evan cannot transcend the golly-gee, cutesy image. He got spanked by Brandon in this routine because he couldn’t adapt and bring the rawness needed.

I agree with mj – that Evan/Brandon Nasty Boyz was a set up to showcase Brandon. And it worked – as far as the dance went. It may spur those Evan voters to save their nasty boy!

Did. not. like. the Mia piece. At all. Special, indeed.

Yeah. I didn’t like the Mia piece either.

I didn’t like the Mia piece either. Disappointing. :(

Didn’t like the Mia piece either. Blech!

The judges just don’t get it. The more they put Evan down, the more people are going to vote for him. What are they going to do if Evan wins?????

They’re going to get egg on their faces because they are going take away votes from the ones they are pimping. Yes, Brandon is a superior technical dancer but Evan dances from the heart and should get credit from that. The judges shouldn’t even critique on the final night and just let the fans judge for themselves.

Did. not. like. the Mia piece. At all. Special, indeed.

I didn’t care for it either. I did find myself watching Jeanine more than Kayla even though I was trying to watch both.

If there is such a thing as a “commercial package” for dancers then I think I’d have to give it to Jeanine. I really think she could do music videos and back-up dancing on tours.

Evan’s Solo: He didn’t do anything IMO. This is the Finale dude…. Bring it! His other solos were much better. I kept waiting for him to do something. Underwhelming in a word.

Evan Solo-He is so unique with his style. I do not think it was his best solo But it was interestingly understated and smooth. I can not get over them saying it is what the have seen over and over. Brandon and Jeanine did the same moves over and over too. Brandon’s ending to his solo with the split has been done countless times. Evan had the best sit down with Cat so far.

Kayla and Evan-What the hell a Jive as a country routine. Actually think Evan is doing better then Kayla. Nigel must be finally understanding attacking Evan is not a smart Idea. The moment with the audience chanting Evan’s name was amazing and emotional. Maybe they really want Evan to win and beat him up knowing people we come to his rescue. Who knows. Evan is the heart of this show. He connects unlike any of the other dancers.

Man…Nigel’s really beating up on Evan tonight! Sheesh! I am a Jeanine fan all the way, but that was wrong! He’s patronizing him basically saying he’s only popular because he’s like a cute little puppy.

Brandon is my favorite, but I actually enjoy watching Evan more than Jeanine, so I definitely disagree with Nigel on his comments to Evan that he isn’t as enjoyable as Jeanine.

…but Evan dances from the heart and should get credit from that.

And the other 3 don’t dance from the heart too? just asking….

ETA: Kayla and Evan – Ugh….I actually think Evan did much better than Kayla. Kayla just looked awkward to me.

ETA2: Kayla’s solo: It was just ok for me. Sorry she is not in Travis’, Danny’s, or Will’s league. I’d add Brandon and/or Jeanine first.

Whatever. If you didn’t want him to win, you shouldn’t have put him in as a Finalist. This show employs a bunch of hypocrites. The show highlights it all the time, America’s FAVORITE dancer so why is it a problem if America wants a pocket Gene Kelly wannabe to win?

I can not get over them saying it is what the have seen over and over. Brandon and Jeanine did the same moves over and over too.

lol I know.

The judges shouldn’t even critique on the final night and just let the fans judge for themselves.

I may be wrong about this, but isn’t that what they did in the first season of Idol? I seem to recall they stuffed the judges up in some balcony and just let the contestants sing (there was some blathering about how America gets to decide tonight or something. I remember being confused as to what role the judges played since I only watched the finale that year). The judges did get to talk right at the end of the show (and they said “Vote for Kelly” (paraphrased)).

I kind of like that. It’s more positive and enjoyable. I don’t think people listen to the judges much by the time we get to the finale and they would stop looking like idiots if they person they like doesn’t win.

I think it only lasted a year, though, because the judges think the show is all about them.

I think it only lasted a year, though, because the judges think the show is all about them.

its unfortunate but true. I actually change the channel after they dance so I don’t have to hear their opinions.

And the other 3 don’t dance from the heart too? just asking’ ¦.

Don’t think that is what is being said just that Evan seems to convey that better then the other 3. He is the heart of the show. I agree that this season would not have been what it is without Evan. Do I think he should win. I think he deserves it just as much as any of them. Ultimately for the average person it is not who is the best dancer but who connects with them the best. I think that is where Evan is better then the rest.

Kayla solo-Nothing special and weakest of all four.

And the other 3 don’t dance from the heart too? just asking’ ¦.

Don’t think that is what is being said just that Evan seems to convey that better then the other 3. He is the heart of the show. I agree that this season would not have been what it is without Evan. Do I think he should win. I think he deserves it just as much as any of them. Ultimately for the average person it is not who is the best dance but who connects with them the best. I think that is where Evan is better then the rest.

Kayla solo-Nothing special and weakest of all four.

Yep and ditto! Kayla was blah…….

Was watching Kayla and Jeanine together without the sound. Wow, I didn’t realize how great Kayla was until I saw them together. I still like Jeanine, but it was very interesting to watch them sans sound.

Oh, the reason sans sound was because I was on the phone with my Mom. I wasn’t doing it on purpose. LOL. :-)

I don’t know why Kayla isn’t connecting with the fans. OTOH, I’m not sure why Evan is in the top 4. I guess it’s a popularity contest. *shrugs*

LOL Nigel is not pimping Jeanine. That was nothing compared to the comments he made to Kayla. He practically told people to pick up the phone and vote for her. lol

I’ve never been a fan of Evan, but I’m tempted to vote for him out of spite. I can’t stand when judges BUS a contestant to sway voters. It rarely works anyways (see: Idol finales season 7 and 8) and does nothing but pisses off a fanbase.

I wouldn’t be shocked if Evan or even Kayla won.

Evan, Brandon, and jeanine are trending on twitter.

its unfortunate but true. I actually change the channel after they dance so I don’t have to hear their opinions.

Yeah I mute them especially Mary. Her laugh and screaming drives my fiance up the walls.

It’s not clear to me why a piece was picked which Evan would need to overcome but Brandon wouldn’t. The way Evan is being set up for failure tonight, from beginning to end, is making me consider donating some of my Jeannine votes to him — and that makes me think maybe that is what the judges are trying to do. Brandon’s been such a favorite, and any sympathy votes he gets are going to come from non-Brandon voters — thus guaranteeing a win for Brandon.

I think the way the judges have been behaving tonight is shameful. They don’t get a vote so they shouldn’t get a say. *I* vote that the judges don’t get to appear in the final show any more unless they keep their mouths zipped. Let us get an unobstructed review of each dancer’s merits — one with no judging but our own.

And I agree — Kayla’s solo was definitely the weakest.

For me, the best dances tonight was the broadway routine and the paso doble, and both of these dances had Brandon in them. He is the common denominator, which is why he should win but won’t. lol

He is the heart of the show. I agree that this season would not have been what it is without Evan.

Well… I disagree. He is far from the heart of the show for me.

Brandon and Jeanine: Holey SHEET! That was F’ing Awesome!!! :clap_tb: :thumbup_tb:

I hope that Brandon wins. I think that he is the best dancer from the top 4 and he is my favorite dancer from the this season’s top 4. My overall favorite from this season’s contestants is Ade, and Brandon is my second overall favorite contestant.

Wow! Nigel thinks he’s one sly dog doesn’t he?! NOW, he resorts to telling everyone that basically yes, he knows people like Evan and will vote for him over Kayla, but not to do that! What a jerk!

The Jive was odd. I love country so I kinda enjoyed it. I do agree that it is the first time Kayla’s personality has ever shown up this season. There were some cool moves, but it seemed that for the pace of the music, the movements were too slow. The jive didn’t really jive you could say.

Evan, Brandon, and jeanine are trending on twitter.

Wow that is great.

Brandon and Jeanine-Best routine of the night. It was definitely created to be the last number and have the biggest impact. I can not say anything else but Fantastic. Nigel=PIG again.

My pics after the show is
Jeanine
Evan
Brandon
Kayla

I am still voting for Evan but think this is how it will turn out.

Ok gotta go time to power vote.

Now THAT was a paso doble!

The Paso was WOW!!! Brandon is WOW!!! At this point I just want one of the guys to win but I do think that Brandon is going to suffer because of how they treated Evan tonight. It will be interesting………

I hope either Brandon or Kayla wins. I haven’t watched much of this season until the past few weeks, but the two of them stand out to me as brilliant technicians. Their movements always seem so effortless. Watching Brandon next to the others in the group dance, his movements look unreal.

I have to say that Evan is not just a great dancer but he also has personality on his side. He is very expressive and charming. Jeanine is similar to him in that she both dances and emotes well. I think they probably appeal more to viewers than the other two.

He is the heart of the show. I agree that this season would not have been what it is without Evan.

Well’ ¦ I disagree. He is far from the heart of the show for me.

I should have clarified that Evan is the heart of the show for me. :bye_tb:

As much as I want Kayla to win, I think it’s already a huge privilege and honor to see her in the Top 4. Even though she don’t win it, I’m very happy for what she had accomplished.

I hope after this show, no one would hate her and just appreciate her as a beautiful dancer. She has done nothing wrong for someone to hate her so I hope after this, everything will be well.

Good luck to the 4 dancers and despite all the negative critics the 4 are having here, THEY ALL DESERVE TO BE IN THE FINAL 4 and they are all great dancers!

WOOHOOOOOO!!!! ;)

I’m voting for Jeanine (she’s been amazing all season, and I want a girl to win!) but wouldn’t mind if Brandon won (he’s in the Danny/Travis/Blake/Will territory of amazing talent). Actually, I wouldn’t mind if any of them won, they all bring something different.

I have to admit though, other than maybe with Janette and Ade, I haven’t been as into this season as I was into, say, season 3 (the best one, despite the random Sabra win) or even last season.

What does Will (season 4) have to do to get some respect? When Adam Shankman started recalling the brilliant dancers that have been on the show, the audience went wild for Travis (one of my favorites) and Danny (who is beyond amazing) but they barely acknowledged Will.

It probably shouldn’t, but it always peeved me that viewers didn’t want to give Will a chance because of what many perceived as judges’ bias. The guy is incredible!

[End of rant]

By the way, I think the compliment Adam was paying to Kayla when naming these dancers was well deserved.

I think the placements tonight should be as follows:

1. Jeanine
2. Evan
3. Kayla
4. Brandon

Sorry ya’ll put I am not on the Brandon train. He is a talented stunt man/dancer, but for me, he has just existed this season. I almost feel like his popularity has turned me off to him. He’s overpimped by the judges and fans alike IMO. But he does deserve to be in the Final 4 no question. I know Evan’s technique doesn’t match Kayla or Brandon, but to me I still think he is insanely talented and much more fun to watch. And Jeanine, well what else can you say. She rose to the occasion every single week and only in recent weeks started getting the pimping that others have had all along. She’s got charm and accessibility in spades and tops that all off with brilliant dancing! You just can’t ask for anything more. Evan’s always charmed me, but not been as high on my radar until tonight. Not just cause he was treated horribly by Nigel, but he truly is a class act all the way and I think he more than holds his own out there. It makes me angry that they put someone through to the Top 20 rounds to act as their personal sacrificial lamb. It’s like why did they even bother if they dislike him so much?

I don’t know why Kayla isn’t connecting with the fans. OTOH, I’m not sure why Evan is in the top 4. I guess it’s a popularity contest. *shrugs*

Kayla’s got mad skills. She’s better than Jeanine on a technical level, but I don’t know how much that means on this show.

The guy is incredible!

Will is a fabulous dancer. You’ll get no argument on that from me.

I voted for Brandon tonight, because I thought he was amazing. And because I’ve seen Gene Kelly. And you Evan, are no Gene Kelly.

I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to watch more of the season, but I’m glad I got to see most of the finale (missed the first couple dances).

In a nutshell, I really like Brandon and Jeanine. I think Evan is adorable even if I don’t enjoy his dancing as much as the others. I love watching Kayla dance, not so much listening to her talk, but her dancing is really beautiful.

I guess I’m in the minority, but I loved Mia’s dance. And of course, Brandon and Jeanine dance was awesome.

The title is for “favorite dancer” for a reason. I appreciate that they acknowledge that not every who watches the show is well versed in the technicalities of dance. I know I’m certainly not. If I was voting for the show, I would be voting for the dancer who I enjoy the most, not who’s technically best. If I did, I would probably be wrong anyway.

Concerning Will … I watched more of last season than this, so I can say that I understood that he was technically way above and beyond the rest of the bunch, but I never really enjoyed watching him dance. I preferred some of the others for their style and personalities. I never got much personality out of Will’s dancing.

It probably shouldn’t, but it always peeved me that viewers didn’t want to give Will a chance because of what many perceived as judges’ bias. The guy is incredible!

I agree. I think people saw him as getting special treatment because he was one of Debbie’s students. The dude was/is phenomenal. I’ll never understand how he got cut before Twitch. I was hoping for Mark and Will as the Top 2 guys last season and ended up 0/2.

Kayla’s got mad skills. She’s better than Jeanine on a technical level, but I don’t know how much that means on this show.

Two girls doing the same jump and one is 3/4 there and the other is all the way there… well, it shows. I totally have loved Jeanine from the start. But if I were to vote… and I’m not, it would be Kayla and Brandon.

Nigel called the contest for either Brandon or Jeanine. We’ll see. I don’t think Evan and his mighty army of fans can be counted out’ ¦

I agree

I voted for Brandon tonight, because I thought he was amazing.

Yea!!

I really enjoyed SYTYCD tonight — why, you might ask? Because I have refined my technique of never having to listen to a word of what the judges say. Thought Evan outdanced the rest of them on the whole as there was personality in his dance. I am positive that the judges tried to push Brandon through my nose, but when the two guys were dancing I really thought Evan made Brandon look like a contemporary dancer who was trying too hard. Kayla has the same problem, everything is technique-perfect and looks like it’s being danced in class, instead of on a stage where your heart must show.

I guess that leaves us with the battle of the short pudgy dancers: Evan and Jeannine.

Two girls doing the same jump and one is 3/4 there and the other is all the way there’ ¦ well, it shows.

I noticed that too, but for me, it still doesn’t take away from Jeanine’s beauty and talent as a dancer. I still find her much more appealing to watch regardless of how high or not high her split leaps are.

Pudgy is definitely not the word I would use to describe Jeanine….or even Evan for that matter

I understand Kayla must be amazing, but I don’t know much about dance and when I watch it I just want to enjoy it, feel something and get that want more feeling. I don’t get Kayla. Never did and she never impressed me.
I like the other 3 more, I have so much fun seeing them dance. I don’t care who wins, but if I had to vote I’d probably pick Brandon.

To the person that said “evan is the heart of the show this season”, I say no, that jeanine has been the heart of the show this season. But kudos to all the finalists for a well-danced finale!

i see a repeat of season 3:

1. sabra/jeanine
2. danny/brandon
3. neil/evan
4. lacey/kayla

and i’ll be happy with these results because i love sabra and jeanine :p

Dial has Brandon in the lead

Emotionally – Evan and Jeanine connect the most with me. Brandon blows hot and cold – and Kayla just doesn’t connect at all, I’m afraid. But then – that’s me. Art is supposed to affect people emotionally – and we all are moved by different things. Comparing performers is kinda like comparing apples and oranges in a way. Both are good in different ways. Same with the dancers. And there are different performance elements as well: form vs. feeling. Technically – all have had brilliant and not so hot moments. I must say – the judges made some odd decisions on what to highlight (and ignore). I tend to look at it from a casting viewpoint to a certain extent. I began my career in theatre doing musicals (actor, singer, dancer), eventually transitioning into directing – so I do know the technical side of things. Brandon, as good as he is, often fell out of his moves. Oh – he covered well (turning a slip into a controlled fall) – but he did make mistakes. Jeanine made the fewest, actually (over all). Kayla’s strength was her lines. She made every arm and leg movement seem like it went on into infinity. What she lacked (for me) was personality and spark. And I do not see her as a stage star ‘“ Mia’s pronouncement notwithstanding. Frankly ‘“ I’d cast Jeanine over Kayla any day ‘“ and I’d likely cast Evan over Brandon for the same reason. Bottom line ‘“ it’s who my eye goes to the most often that seals the deal. When Brandon and Evan danced together ‘“ I watched Evan. He has a kind of zing that reaches beyond the stage. Evan could carry a show. Producers for 2010′s Broadway production of ‘Finian’s Rainbow’ are you listening? Evan would make a great leprechaun!

As for who will win? Dunno. Likely Jeanine or Brandon ‘“ and that’s OK with me. Everyone is, actually. Oh – I have my preferences ‘“ but all 4 deserve to have made it into the final. It will be interesting to see what affected people the most ‘“ heart, soul or technique.

If I was voting for the show, I would be voting for the dancer who I enjoy the most, not who’s technically best. If I did, I would probably be wrong anyway.

But, you’re exactly right. The objective of dance as a visual art form is to move its audience. If you were voting, you should be voting for the person who inspired you to cast that vote, regardless of the reasons.

I’ve got dance experience, and I can spot the technical prowess as well as the faux pas. Doesn’t mean that’s the way I necessarily vote.

I can’t sing. I don’t know an upper register from a whole in the ground. Yet, I vote after AI like mad, for whoever compelled me to vote that night. And, I don’t know if they were technically the best. I just know, that on that night, I thought they kicked ass.

TV Reality competitions operate under the assumption that the masses who are watching them are not singers from Julliard who’ve taken several dance workshops at Debbie Allen’s studio. There is no right or wrong reason for how one casts a vote. You don’t need a resume.

The show highlights it all the time, America’s FAVORITE dancer so why is it a problem if America wants a pocket Gene Kelly wannabe to win?

sorry, but gene kelly was able to dance anything. evan can’t.

Finally, I am able to post after 65 minutes. What a Final Four show! I loved all the routines. Any of the four could win.

My favorite still remains to be Jeanine; however I don’t think she can pull it off. Brandon is an exciting performer and Kayla has some beautiful moves – both capable of being winners.

The judges let us in on their secret. Evan is by far the most popular dancer. It doesn’t matter that he may be the weakest dancer of the four. I think he has a great chance to win.

delted

Evan was definitely the weakest link, but it still distresses me that judges’ comments toward him take on such a personal cast. I guess they are frustrated that he gets so many votes, but still.

I don’t trust DialIdol, frankly.

Evan might win as America’s favorite dancer, and he is cute and great in his genre, but he is limited, IMO (unlike Janette, whom we greatly miss). I hope Brandon or Jeanine win, but it sure isn’t a given. I think Brandon has the best chance (tho Jeanine is actually trending higher, if that matters–soon, it will be #adamisback, anyway ;-)). I thought it was a great show, but I thought Evan was by far the weakest of the four, and the others were very good or great in each routine.

We shall see…Sabra beat Danny, Joshua beat Katee (tho I could see that, at least), Benjy beat Travis (travis-ty!), tho it’s anyone’s call…so to speak. And I know very little about dance (tho I took ballet as a kid), a little more about singing, but I will ALWAYS go with the dancer/singer who excites me the most. It was Adam for Idol, and now it’s Brandon for SYTYCD.

Evan will win.

When I watched Evan and Brandon, my eyes were drawn to Brandon. But, I do see the appeal of an all-american guy from the Midwest. That is also not lost on the judges. They know the vote totals.

All four are great dancers. I hope they all have success. They all seem likeable to me. I would prefer an outcome that rewarded someone other than Evan (sorry KK), but I’ll be fine with it. I obviously am not even voting.

There has been a lot of criticism of Kayla, but does anyone remember what she said to the judges (answering a question)? Not only can Kayla dance, but she can sing and act.

Having this background may work in her favor when auditioning for a job (Braodway, Film, music videos, etc.) Although Kayla is not my favorite, I think she has a lot going for her besides being beautiful. She knows what she will have to work on.

I don’t think Kayla will win, though.

I can barely get through for Jeanine. Have dialed off and on all night (probably dialed about 250 times) and I’ve gotten less than 50 votes through for her. Even up to now, with less than 25 minutes left of voting, I’m still getting more busy signals than calls through.

I tested it for the other contestants. I dialed 5 times back to back for each one. Got through all 5 times for Kayla, got through 4 times for Evan, and got through no times for either Jeanine or Brandon. I guess Central FL loves them some Jeanine and Brandon!

I loved Jeanine tonight. She really brought it in every dance she did. I hope she wins. She’s been my 2nd favorite girl behind Janette for a while now, and since Janette can’t win, I realy want Jeanine too. And I’m trying my damndest to make that happen!

sorry, but gene kelly was able to dance anything. evan can’t.

LOL at Gene krumping.

I don’t think the judges want Evan to win because that would likely mean that everybody would assume that Ryan, his brother, will win the next season. I think they have a story arc planned for Ryan. If Evan wins, Ryan might not even make the show. Although, Lacey did after Benji’s win so you never know.

Is anybody besides me having a problem viewing Jeanines Solo video?

I don’t think the judges want Evan to win because that would likely mean that everybody would assume that Ryan, his brother, will win the next season. I think they have a story arc planned for Ryan. If Evan wins, Ryan might not even make the show. Although, Lacey did after Benji’s win so you never know.

Nigel is already pimping Ryan like he’s a Top 20 shoe-in for next season. But with all Nigel’s negative comments towards Evan about his height/looks I don’t want to think about what Nigel might have already prepared for Ryan.

I dont think that’s true Kirsten… We have had other siblings on the show … no one that I know of assumed that these siblings… not even Lacey, who’s brother won… would automatically win the next season… as a matter of fact, I think the sibling thing worked more against them than for them.

BTW I would have loved to see Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly try to Krump! LOL

Did anybody else’s broadcast omit almost the entire Mia-choreographed duet with Jeanine and Kayla? WTF, FOX 29 in Philadelphia! I swear to God, they had some kind of delay getting their commercials rollings, so instead of skipping the local ads for their 10:00 news, they cut into the broadcast. We only saw the last 10 seconds or so of their dance. No intro, no nothing.

I thought tonight’s show was excellent. Love, love, LOVED Brandon and Jeanine, and thought Kayla did a bang-up job as well. I think she and Jeanine are very evenly matched as dancers, but Jeanine is much better at choreographing her own routines. She just has that extra something special. I’m voting for her and Brandon tonight, but I love Kayla. I love Evan, too, but for me he’s just not in the same league as the other three dancers.

And, yes, Will is a god. Kayla is lucky she didn’t meet the same fate as Will after being one of the judges’ clear favorites early on. I also thought she might suffer from the “Don’t Hate Me Because I’m Beautiful” curse, LOL.

I loved Jeanine tonight. She really brought it in every dance she did. I hope she wins. She’s been my 2nd favorite girl behind Janette for a while now, and since Janette can’t win, I realy want Jeanine too. And I’m trying my damndest to make that happen!

Sarah, I was able to get through with almost every call. I voted more than 300 times. I don’t have any fancy equipment, just a cell phone. BTW, Janette was my first favorite, too.

Yes, I am ashamed of the way the judges behaved tonight. There was no need to run over Evan in order to get another person to win. This will backfire on them. I don’t know if I recall the audience chanting a dancer’s name while he/she was receiving negative feedback?

Yes, I believe Mia’s routine was meh. Having such talented girls, she could have come up with something more powerful.

Technical ability is all very nice — and I do mean, yes, I like it — but it’s not what moves me. I don’t think either Brandon or Kayla is a robot, but for me Jeannine has so much more life, more humanity as a dancer. Did you see the passion in that paso doble! Bleeping Tivo decided not to tape tonight because it was a repeat (WHAT?), so I don’t have it to watch over and over and over again, but images from that paso doble are etched even on my gray cells.

Not to throw fire on the fire, but… Except for Janette I never did get as emotionally connected to any of this year’s top 10 as I did to last year’s top 4. Maybe it’s because I prefer the rawness of street dance to contemporary dancers flying around in bare feet (in background I am neither, FTR).

Katie is still my favorite dancer who has ever appeared on the show, hands down. When — who said it tonight? darn Tivo — said that this years women were much stronger than any final 4 top women before, I nearly charged the TV for a knock-down-drag-out. I do like Kayla’s technical ability, I love Jeannine’s range of human expression more than Kayla’s technical ability, but what I like so much about Katie was that she was a technician who could express all that range of human emotion too.

I wish I knew how to say what I mean better, because I just re-read that and it’s slop compared to what I want to be able to say. Well, I promise you won’t be seeing me on So You Think You Can Write.

Yeah, but Gene Kelly made Debbie Reynolds cry during the making of “Singin’ in the Rain”. :( I can’t imagine Evan making anyone cry.

Regarding DialIdol, it appears they have predicted the correct winner of SYTYCD every season.

Evan technically is not the best dancers and did not show the ability as the others of doing as good at different styles. He was entertaining and possible not as much training and will improve. Janine is my favorite and have to admit Kayla technically a great dancer. Bradon to is a good dancer just never connected with him.So good big congrads to the winner!!!Luckily the winner of SYTYCD do not here fantards go on about these contestants curing cancer like AI. (that is tiring)

Sidenote-Chat was a jerk but I learned when people hate ya they are happy when you leave….

BootStar: Yes, my part of the Northeast got Mia’s routine mostly blacked out too.

Grammi Kari: What I found shameful about the judges’ behavior was that they heaped ridiculous amounts of praise on everybody *except* Evan while heaping criticism on him, thus making him look at the very least unfairly targeted. Had they been more even-handed about giving everyone at least some criticism — like Jeannine when she didn’t extend her leg in her duet with Evan, it underscored that Kayla is the better technician of the two — it would have seemed at least a little less lopsidedly unfair.

Ignore If already posted but jeanine brandon and evan trending

Don’t trust DialIdol… They predicted Randi would be safe the night she was eliminated.

I agree with Radar… Katee still remains the best female dancer ever on the show IMO… Kayla is really talented but up against Katee and Katee’s personality? She wouldn’t stand a chance!

BTW I would have loved to see Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly try to Krump! LOL

they would have dace it better than evan.

don’t get me wrong, i think that he is cute and great is style. but he is the weakest.

Jeanine’s solo video still doesn’t work… :wallbash_tb:

izzitme, try this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQrSkVYkAzw&feature=channel_page

they seem to have a bunch of the videos, pretty good quality.

EDIT: OMG! I have 550 seconds to edit! Cool! I haven’t logged in in a while!LOLZ

When ‘” who said it tonight? darn Tivo ‘” said that this years women were much stronger than any final 4 top women before, I nearly charged the TV for a knock-down-drag-out.

I remember this too and thought especially of Sabra (who won) and Katee (who should have won) and basically thought about the fact that the statement was about the TWO women being stronger than any other top 4 women. In Sabra’s year, the last other woman standing was Lacey — and she’s pretty weak IMO. In Katee’s year, IIRC the last other woman standing was Courtney — and though she was a charmer, she wasn’t nearly as strong a technical dancer as either of Janine or Kayla. So, I don’t think they were putting down Katee or Sabra specifically.

Plus, you know, it’s just like AI. Every year is always The Best Evah.

I believe that the judges want a girl or Evan to win. They have been in the reality business too long not to realize that critcizing Evan will galvanate his supporters and it will be a massacre. I am sure Evan’s supporters voted by the millions. Evan is going to win. I will admit that I am not a fan(even though I love watching Gene Kelly). It is not Evan’s dancing that is the problem. None of the boys have the personality of the boys from past seasons. Brandon doesn’t have the personality but his power makes you look and even enjoy. Evan doesn’t have the “look at me” personality. He is like bread. You eat it with almost every meal, but you don’t go to the table saying “Yay we are having bread tonight.” Evan is consistent. Brandon is powerful. Janienne is amazing(skills and personality). Kayla has great technique but she is also like bread. After Kayla performs, you kind of forget she was there.

To summarize: The judges know what criticism does on a reality series. That is why Mia and Little C spoke so horribly about Brandon. They made people root for them because they were so hard on him during the audition phase.

They are doing the same thing with Evan. People, people, people, do the math. They want Evan to win to show that you don’t have to be tall, pretty, strong, or magnetism to be a winner. Next season they are going to credit Evan and his brother with bringing out a more diverse crowd to the show.

jeanine is going to end up in an adam shankman production whether she wins or not. :)

I wasn’t impressed with very much tonight, except for Kayla’s partnering, which has never been less than phenomenal. Mia and Louis presented strong pieces, but otherwise nothing felt finale-worthy – which was depressing considering the show brought out every heavy-hitter in the choreographer stable.

Evan’s lines and power were dwarfed by each partner, though his lifts with Kayla were spectacular. Jeanine spent half the night doing a robust Jeanette impersonation, but she got smoked by Kayla in the Mia piece. Brandon was great, but fell into the Lambert trap of failing to surpass things he’s done in the past few weeks.

Kayla, as much as I haven’t really liked her since Top 20 night, shone through for me. Aside from her occasional gangly arms and typically aimless solo, she found a way to make every dance impressive.

Based on consistency of technique, I think Kayla should win. Based on strength across the whole season, Brandon. Based on personality and growth, Jeanine.

When Jeanine danced her solo, the judges talked about her. The same for the others except Evan. He danced his and all Nigel did was to compare him to Bandon. What a jerk. Maybe some don’t see how much a technician that Evan is because he makes dancing look so darn easy. He can leap higher than many of the top 10. He has tumbling skills and his extension is fabulous. He just makes it look so easy. And, he something else some of the others don’t-personality to spare. Brandon is the more robotic dancer but Evan dances with heart. I don’t care for Broadway dancing personally but can recognize a fabulous dancer when I see one. Congrats to you Evan.

RadarJ , the judges had this Evan criticism all set in their luncheon meeting. It was so obvious. Why they did that to him is beyond me, but Nigel’s final comments demonstrated the power votes Evan is getting. I think the others felt sorry for him. Hearing the audience chant his name proved how popular he is.

I know she’s not a popular choice, but Heidi just amazed me. I loved when she danced with Benji. Oh, I guess he’s not a popular choice either. LOL.

Now about the pool… I don’t know who will win, but I think it won’t be Kayla.

Hope that BRANDON wins….He has wanted to be on this show since he was 15 years old and last year he deserved to be in the Top 20 (watch his amazing audition from last year). This season he has elevated the dancing of everyone that he has been partnered with, including Jeanine (recall the Laurieann Gibson soldier duet they danced together). He has been the strongest dancer in terms of technique and the most consistent (no weak performances).

He loves to dance and it shows. His personality and his PASSION FOR DANCE makes his performances so enjoyable and a delight to watch.

Jeanine’s comment about her entering “So You Think You Can Dance” “…on a whim” does not denote neither drive, hunger nor a deep passion for dance. I was not impressed tonight by her performances. Kayla outperformed her in their duet together and has overall been a better dancer than her in previous episodes.
Evan is quirky, but not as sharply skilled in his dance technique.

Anyway, GO BRANDON GO….

Nigel tells Evan he’s a lovely lad, calls Kayla beautiful, and wished her personality had come out sooner. But he thinks the winner tonight is going to be Brandon or Jeanine.

I think Nigel shouldn’t have said those. It just shows that Kayla and Evan are just decorations in the Top 4 and there’s no way they will ever win. Yeah, Jeanine & Brandon most deserved to win (probably) but for equality sake, Nigel shouldn’t have said those in public.

I think because of that, there will be a shock results finale. Well, I hope not. I’m very happy for Kayla making it to Top 4 and doesn’t matter if she doesn’t win it but Evan fans are fierce. Don’t know what will be the results like. Oh well. ;)

MJ is dead on when she says the Laurieann Gibson Hip Hop was specifically choreographed to make Evan look bad. My husband even noticed it – and he’s a theatre technician, not a performer. Brandon and Brandon’s ‘in your face’ style were featured throughout. I’d call his performance noisier ‘“ not necessarily better. He drove his feet into the floor, while Evan danced up on his toes. That’s a matter of style ‘“ not and arbiter of talent. The choreographer should have corrected that ‘“ but she didn’t. So Evan skims over the floor like flowing water ‘“ while Brandon plants himself like a tree. Again ‘“ just a matter of style ‘“ but Brandon’s heavier performance got lauded. Evan’s jumps were better (more controlled) ‘“ but that got lost in all the noise.

Sonya’s Jazz piece was the only one that truly balanced both performances. To then criticize Evan for accurately performing the choreography given him was bull. What was he supposed to do? Change the choreography so he wasn’t ‘thrown around’? Wouldn’t that be unprofessional Nigel? Even Tony Meredith’s Jive gave all the flashy moves to Kayla (which isn’t unusual – most Ballroom choreo spotlights the female dancer). Evan’s partnering was fabulous! Even when Kayla reached for him off beat ‘“ Evan managed to be there to catch her. That takes skill. The audience looks to the judges to point that kind of thing out ‘“ something they rarely do. And listening to Nigel bad mouth Evan whilst drooling over Kayla and Jeanine about gave me hives. Poor girls. What could they say? I’ll bet they were as creeped out as I was. God – that man is so skeevy! Why not just point out the good and bad and let the audience decide? I was so proud of everyone chanting out Evan’s name.

Don’t get me wrong ‘“ I believe any of the four remaining dancers is good enough to win (and I’d be fine with it) ‘“ I just hate to see someone unfairly picked on. They do this every year, you know – pick out one talented dancer and dump all over them. Last season’s whipping boy was Mark Kanemura – anyone who doesn’t quite fit the mold. This isn’t ‘Strictly Ballroom, Nigel ‘“ no Tina Sparkles here. Guess which character I picture you playing? God I hope Evan comes away with a slew of vote’s tomorrow night. No matter what ‘“ I know he’ll have a great career. All of them will.

Gene Kelly could not dance everything at that age either. Gene was nearly 28 before he started to make a name for himself in Hollywood, Evan is 21.

Practice makes perfect and I don’t see Evan laying back and taking it easy.

The 2 women are pretty even in skill, I prefer watching Jeanine with a little more pause in her step.

The guys are not even close, Evan’s the better dancer. Give Brandon a tux to wear that does not tear off or make it impossible for him to forget to wear a shirt by bringing him one. He is completely forgettable and Evan is not.

Evan’s timing is better, his footwork was the best of anyone on the show, he’s ability to make everything look easy…etc.

Evan and Jeanine, Evan should win.

I’m going to make my own SPOILERS. :)

My 4th Place: Jeanine (No offense everyone. She’s a great dancer too but I just like her the least among the 4. No hate. Peace!)
America’s 4th Place: Kayla (As much as I want her to win, I think it will turn out this way. Love her so much though!)

My 3rd Place: Kayla (The boys are stronger when it comes to fanbases than her)
America’s 3rd Place: Jeanine (Same explanation as Kayla)

My 2nd Place: Evan
America’s 2nd Place: Brandon

My Winner: Brandon (Because he’s a great dancer technically oozing with great personality)
America’s Winner: Evan (Because they bashed Evan way too much, his fans will become fierce and do anything)

Haha! That’s all! I would be laughing hard if America’s way really happened. Hahaha!

I think the top 4 are all terrific in their own way but I hope Jeanine wins simply because she didn’t have any extra help from the producers to make her stand out as a contestant. The other three all had manufactured story lines that got them immediately noticed by the viewers and that extra camera time makes a big difference when it’s time to vote. Evan got an enormous boost having his sibling back story, Kayla got lots of help with the sympathetic “It would mean everything to my grand parents” back story, and Brandon got the manufactured hate from Mia Micheals back story to make him more likable and less conceited for the viewers at home. Janine had to work her butt off to get noticed during the competition and she did it with a smile on her face every step of the way. For this reason IMHO she’s the one who is most deserving to win this season.

Jeanine’s solo was the high point of almost the entire season for me.

Nigel has learned nothing over the years about backlash voting and how pervy he sounds.

As bad as that jive was it was made 10 times worse by Kayla in cowboy boots. How in blazes is someone supposed to do precise kick flicks with cowboy boots on?

Evan is so smooth that his body is simply incapable of staccato movement.
I personally do not see it as a bad thing but understand where someone who wants him to be an all-rounder might. But I do love his style so much that if that is all he can do it is fine by me and I will watch it 100% of the time.

Brandon is still soul-less to me. America’s Most Powerful Dancer maybe, but less my favorite than just about anyone in all seasons combined.

Who should win? Jeanine.
Who do I hope wins? Evan, so Nigel’s head will explode and he may finally learn how dissing dancers on a personal level causes voters to rise up. Critique dance, not eyelids and body type and smishability. Jeez.

This has been a lousy season.

I, too, wasn’t thrilled with Nigel’s dismissal of Kayla and Evan at the end. Mary and Shankman had the *fairness* to compliment all four and leave it up to the audience.

Although, I liked Jeanine’s solo, I felt that a tango solo followed by a Paso Doble couples dance was too similar in feeling and took away from both routines.

I was not impressed with Mia’s dance routine for the girls. It had a concept, but not much dancing which I would rather see than another Mia ego trip. Both girls were about equal in that number, IMO. Adequate, but not spectacular

My favorite is Kayla, the complete package, extensions, lifts, grace and beauty. My least favorite is Evan, the *average* looking guy. He is okay in his specialty, but he doesn’t translate as well into other genres.

For some reason, American doesn’t like beautiful, but likes plain, which is okay because perhaps they can identify more with them. After all, how many people look like Kayla? I do believe the *jealousy* factor will hurt her.

Again, IMO, Brandon just couldn’t top last week’s solo, but he came pretty close. I like all four for different reasons, was entertained and that’s al anyone can hope for. It’s a good show and no complaints, no matter who wins. After all, we have seen the non-winners get a lot of work, so all’s okay.

I thought that, on the night, Janine and Brandon were fierce! That paso was all sorts of awesome. Over the season I would rate Brandon ahead, he has risen to all the challenges and has excited and delighted me.

I have no doubt all of them have wonderful careers ahead of them and that, after all those years of dedication, hard work, injury etc they fully deserve whatever comes their way!

I think Jeanine should win. I enjoyed 3 out of 4 of her performances last night (all except the Mia piece. I found the props terribly distracting and Jeanine could not work them. And Nigel is a pervert. Really, could he stop that? Does he want the entire audience to shudder every week? Gah!). I also thought Kayla was a delight this week.

Brandon disappointed me because I noticed several mistakes and he didn’t finish some of his moves. If you are the technician of the group, your mistakes are magnified, IMO (he can’t cover it up with personality). The judges really dumped on Evan more than he deserves. Heaven forbid he wins because they will massacre him in the press. I can’t recall ever having heard the audience start chanting a contestants name over the judges speaking (apparently, the editors removed a lot of the negative stuff that was said about Evan). He’s got personality to spare, so I think he can have a career in his chosen style.

Well I’ll throw in a little commentary…

I really did not think that the broadway piece was very good, at all. And I think it was Kayla’s fault. They were off in synchro a few times, especially in the turns. They started off together but they did not come out of the turns together. There were a couple of other places too, but that one was the most obvious.

Also, I thought Kayla looked completely frantic in the jive. I did not think she danced it well at all. Granted, it was terrible choreography, but still.

I dunno, I just didn’t think she was as good as the judges said she was.

I think Nigel shouldn’t have said those. It just shows that Kayla and Evan are just decorations in the Top 4 and there’s no way they will ever win. Yeah, Jeanine & Brandon most deserved to win (probably) but for equality sake, Nigel shouldn’t have said those in public.

I don’t see why he says stuff like these either, but it’s obviously a habit since he’s said something exactly like this most years, as I remember. Saying that “these are the top two and you are the bottom two” is a pretty standard statement from him. Don’t know why he does it, but he does it pretty consistently. Doesn’t seem to have much at all to do with who in particular is competing.

I find it interesting that some folks jump to a stacked deck whenever their fave shows weakness. Sometimes a spade is just a spade or a dancer’s skillz are simply exhibited for what they are. Yes, Evan is entertaining, to a degree. For me, a great entertainer has mad skillz to match their showmanship and Evan just falls short there. His weaknesses as a dancer showed up often, even in his own category of Broadway. This is not taking anything away from him as a person. It’s just a judgment based on empirical evidence. I don’t think the judges are pouncing on the guy. They were simply stating the facts as they appeared before them. They are there to share both their technical opinion but also their opinions as an audience member. Sure everyone comes with a bias. Both the judges and all of us. But, especially on SYTYCD, I don’t think there’s any script being played here besides the intitial one in choosing the cast of characters we would see on the screen.

My opinion is that Kayla is the best dancer of the bunch. Her skills and her ability to fully embody the characters she was given to portray, I believe, was unmatched this season. After that, comes Brandon who’s athletic, fearless dancing was most moving. I preferred Ade’s dancing, but he, unfortunately, is not in the final four. I think Jeannine is a good dancer who’s strength is her accessibility. Often, people prefer that quality over technical ability, hence Jeannine’s popularity over Kayla.

Once Janette and Ade left the competition, I felt less attachment to the outcome. I’d like to see, well, anyone but Evan win. I think the other three are simply better dancers who better rose to the challenges presented on the show. I think all 3 found a way to shine on dances outside their area of expertise, and Evan simply did not. I can understand any frustration the judges might show given that picture. After all, the premise of the show is to test the dancers versatility by putting them in styles they have little to no experience with. Evan did fine in some areas and struggled mightily in others. Basically, whenever the character he was playing varied much from his stock character, he faltered. That was simply not the case for the other dancers, including many who didn’t make the final four.

I think Evan is getting the ‘everyman’ vote. People relate to him and almost embrace the fact that he’s not technically the best. I think its an American trait, this rooting for the person that is closest to the average Joe or Joanna. What it gets you, in my book, is mediocrity. It’s like all that work the dancers are doing of perfecting and honing their skills is bypassed for the guy with the biggest ‘heart’. The guy with the shtick. Please. I want to see amazing dancers who work their tail off to perfect their art. I’d like to see dancers rewarded for excellence in translating the choreographers vision into a moving piece of art. Dancers who can take a piece of choreography and have their way with it. Dancers who move me and stir up something deep. I want to celebrate that achievement.

Ultimately, the problem here is that this is a TV reality dance contest. I guess it should come as no surprise that artistry does not necessarily triumph in such an arena. Especially in a culture such as ours where dance is mostly marginalized to the backdrop and to ‘culture elite’s”. So I guess its a start. At least it exposes folks to some amazing dancers and gives those dancers a leg up in their careers.

so I think he can have a career in his chosen style.

I think he will, too, because he has not only personality but great skill. But I do think it’s a little weird that his style is considered “Broadway.” To me, it seems more like — “classic musical” or “vaudeville” or something.

When I think of “Broadway,” I’m reminded of a lot of shows that have a way way wider range of emotional content, “edginess,” adult lust and anger, and such in their dances than what Evan seems to do. I mean, some people are saying he was at a disadvantage in that fight dance over Brandon because it’s not close enough to his style. But as I remember it, a whole lot of men’s “Broadway” dancing involves actual fighting of various kinds, and the dancing in many of these tends to be almost “contemporary” dancing, in the sense that the dancers are kind of method-acting the emotions instead of stylizing and lightening them up, as you would have seen more of in vaudeville, for example. If Evan were cast in West Side Story, for example, would he be a Shark or a Jet? Yeah, there’s some humor in what they do, but people actually get *killed* and you don’t really have a cute, twinkle-toes gang in porkpie hats. And what would he do with Spring Awakening?

Oh, an on another issue — Thank God for Louis van Amstel. At last a paso that wasn’t hideous. Plus, his other dances have been pretty good, too. They did a good thing by bringing him on the show.

I think Evan is getting the ‘everyman’ vote. People relate to him and almost embrace the fact that he’s not technically the best. I think its an American trait, this rooting for the person that is closest to the average Joe or Joanna. What it gets you, in my book, is mediocrity. It’s like all that work the dancers are doing of perfecting and honing their skills is bypassed for the guy with the biggest ‘heart’. The guy with the shtick. Please. I want to see amazing dancers who work their tail off to perfect their art. I’d like to see dancers rewarded for excellence in translating the choreographers vision into a moving piece of art. Dancers who can take a piece of choreography and have their way with it. Dancers who move me and stir up something deep. I want to celebrate that achievement.

You make it sound as if these uber talented people are somehow going to be left out in the cold starving or something. That you won’t be able to experience them when they hit stardom in muical theater or Broadway. The thing about uber talented people is this..they don’t translate to competitions like this very well. The more talented they are the (generally) more concieted they come off. The more talented they are their claims of “I deserve this because I worked so hard” fall flat because the person who is less talented had to work twice as hard.

Secondly, talent is based on what one prefers. My guess is that non-Evan fans generally don’t like his style as much as other styles. I mean really I don’t know anyone who can do what Evan does. My guess is that if you’re not in the biz very few people would know someone better on a personal note. As far as comparisons to other dancers in other seasons you would have to replicate exact circumstances on the show with the same exact music, the same exact choreopgraphy, the same exact skill set, the same exact everything to make an accurate comparison as to who is a better dancer on the show.

All that being said—-Go Jeanine!!! :lol_ee:

He drove his feet into the floor, while Evan danced up on his toes. That’s a matter of style ‘“ not and arbiter of talent. The choreographer should have corrected that ‘“ but she didn’t.

How do you know she didn’t try? I personally don’t think Evan is capable of dancing low and into the ground. But the choreographer shouldn’t have to change the style because one particular dancer can’t handle the basics of the genre. I think Ade and Brandon would have blown the piece out of the water; even Jason would have done better. This isn’t the “do whatever you can to make the little Broadway guy look good show”. Evan excels in his own genre but that’s about it.

I voted for Brandon. Jeanine was a close second but I didn’t want to split my votes because I knew Evan would be getting the huge pity vote. Poor Evan…. whatever.

I voted for Brandon. Jeanine was a close second but I didn’t want to split my votes because I knew Evan would be getting the huge pity vote. Poor Evan’ ¦. whatever.

My Evan votes were certainly not pity votes LOL!

They were preference votes!

I’m a huge Jeanine fan but for today I was so impressed with Kayla during her Mia choreography. Watching her dancing in that moment was magical.
For Jeanine’s solo, it reminded me again that Jeanine is not only a great dancer but also a very smart girl. She always knows what she’s doing.

I voted for Brandon. Jeanine was a close second but I didn’t want to split my votes because I knew Evan would be getting the huge pity vote. Poor Evan’ ¦. whatever.

My Evan votes were certainly not pity votes LOL!

They were preference votes!

THIS^^^ 100% :clap_tb:

I’m so glad to see some posts about Kayla’s timing. It has bugged me all season. She is a beautiful dancer with amazing lines, but she seems to be early or late. In the partner dance with Jeanine it made Jeanine look like she was off but wasn’t. She was ahead of Evan several times in the Jive. It takes a great dancer to compensate for the mistakes of their partners.
I also agree with critiques of Brandon…last night he was off and didn’t complete a lot of his moves. I’m curious why the judges didn’t comment that he repeated his whole solo routine last week. It does seem like the judges are tying to level the playing field so that Evan won’t run away with everything.
The last time the audience started chanting someone’s name was season two, when they chanted, “Benji, Benji, Benji” and we all know how that ended.
I think that Evan has this in the bag, and he really deserves it after all the crap he took last night. I think Jeanine will be a tight second, with Brandon and then Kayla.

This whole choreo was a setup to make Evan look bad. Seriously.

Well, let’s turn this around. What choreography could be chosen that would make Brandon look bad? Still thinking? Make it more specific, use your imagination and walk through past finales and put Brandon and Evan in the routines done by the two guys:
Season 4 – The Russian Folk
Season 3 – The Two Princes
Season 2 – The Nerd Hip-Hop

In which of those numbers does Evan come out looking better than Brandon? My answer is: none of the above. He does the best in the Nerd Hip-Hop (originally done by Benji and Travis) because it fits his goofy attitude. But, he still can’t overpower Brandon in the staccato hip-hop explosive style.

Brandon has looked good in every choreo he’s been given. The bottom line is that it’s not the choreography that is showing Evan up – it’s putting him on stage next to Brandon doing the same moves.

What a night! It was great to see the show live from the Kodak theatre. I’m glad Nigel mentioned who he thought might win (and I agree with him); David & Mary wouldn’t step up to the plate. Although I love Mary Murphy, sometimes she can be such a tease. :tongue1_tb:

The dance routines were from mediocre to bravo!

Brandon, Brandon, Brandon! Whether you like him or not, clearly he is the best dancer this season. There is not one genre that Brandon cannot dance and dances with such finesse and makes every performance appear so easy. He is flawless and complete perfection.

The only dance routine I did not like was the football players/cheerleaders ensemble. A bit boring.

Jeanine was so eloquent and strong in her solo, duet with Kayla, and the duet with Brandon. I loved her duet with Brandon on the Paso Doble routine. Wow! She showed incredible strength, stamina and focus. I love her bubbly and funny personality.

Evan is so adorable and I liked his jive routine with Kayla. I always enjoy watching his broadway solo routines.

Kayla is a good dancer, but as Nigel mentioned last night, her personality came through too late. This is clearly what was missing from her performances throughout the competition.

I voted exclusively for Brandon the two hours straight. Dial Idol is predicting Brandon to be the winner. Kudos Brandon! We’ll see tonight.

Brandon: 25.479 :king_tb:

Jeanine: 13.612 :clap_tb:

Kayla: 12.328 :rolleyes_ee:

Evan: 4.619 :help_tb:

I don’t want to see dances that is going to make a dancer look bad. In the past finale nights, the dances made everyone look good. They were choreographed to everyone’s strength’s and no one weaknesses. It was one of the things I liked most about SYTYCD.

Last night they played favorites. Last night they choreographed to Evan’s weakness (his cuteness and how it can limit him with some dances) and very little to his strengths (his musicality, his ability to perform a character that fits with his looks). While they choreographed to everyone else’s strengths (Brandon’s emotional connection to music, Jeanine’s character interpretation, Kayla’s lines).

I gotta admit, I voted for the first time last night this season. For Evan. Though I don’t care who wins this season. I haven’t really been invested in any one dancer.

The show doesn’t confer a title of “America’s Best Dancer” – but rather the (admittedly ridiculous) title of “America’s Favorite Dancer.”

FAVORITE. It’s a popularity contest folks!!!

I also voted for Evan last night, as I have many times during the season. Why? Certainly not out of pity. And, not because he’s the “everyman.” Evan is my favorite. I love his style of dance and I love the way he does it. However, to be honest I did throw a few votes for Jeannine, whose work last night was brilliant. Her solo was my favorite of the night and I voted for that, too.

I think Brandon is wonderful, too. But if I have to “force rank” them, I put him behind Jeanine. And Kayla? Sorry, she’s gorgeous and does have beautiful lines…. but she’s just not my favorite dancer. Frequently just a hair behind or ahead of the beat, but she has gotten consistently high praise. Never an ounce of criticism, when she clearly fell out of turns in the disco last week and was off beat several times in the Jive last night.

But AGAIN, it’s the FAVORITE we’re looking for, right??? In a battle of fanbases I think Kayla will come up short – but what the heck do I know? This is my first season watching SYTYCD!! loved it.

Thanks TFLS. Your post really offered up insight I had not addressed and I think you make excellent points.

Totally looking forward to tonight’s show.

I really like all the dancers this year. Technically, Brandon and Kayla are by far the best dancers, but the persona of both Jeanine and Evan more than even the playing field. I voted for Evan last nght because I was so mad at how they dumped on Evan. Not only the vocal bashing and patronizing, but also the choice of last dance. Give me a break, the Paso Doble vs a hoedown???? How is that comparable?

Yes, thanks, TLFS. Your posts are spot-on.

And btw, MJ, I have to say I love your recaps (both of Idol and SYTYCD). You show your preferences, but you’re also very fair. I trust you more than I do the judges!

I didn’t vote last night because I had to watch the show on DVR, but if I had been able to, I’d have voted for Evan. He’s always been my favorite, not because he’s “everyman” or I like mediocrity but because damn, I just like the boy’s style. And his personality. I actually like all top 4 (though wish Janette had been in there), but I do think Evan and Jeanine have more engaging personalities than the other two.

The judges – esp. Nigel – were so patronizing to Evan it made me sick. He deserves a hella lot more respect than they gave him.

Until last night I’d have been fine with any one of them winning. Now…keeping my fingers crossed for Evan! Eff you, judges.

May they all have fantastic careers.

I just don’t see Evan as all that versatile or graceful, nor does he have the right body for it. I know that really shouldn’t matter, but since dance is such a visual thing, it’s hard not to take that into consideration. There were more than a few routines where I felt his height and weight hindered the performance.

I don’t have a favorite to win, but I just hope Evan doesn’t win due to pity votes. That would be even worse.

Wow… they were really chanting Evan’s name. I dont’ recall an audience doing that before. Mary’s face was priceless. She couldn’t stand it. lol

Does anyone have insight into how the choreography for the show is prepared/scheduled? I’ve always assumed that before the season starts, someone like Tyce is told that he’ll be choreographing routines for couples in weeks x, y, and z, a group routine in week x with a set number of dancers, etc., so he can come up with ideas and fine-tune each routine long before it’s assigned to anyone. I don’t know if dances can be thrown together at the last minute, so I’ve believed that each choreographer comes into SYTYCD having their routines completed, but not knowing who will dance them. Is this an accurate reflection of how the show works, or do choreographers produce new dances so regularly that they have a huge “playbook” to choose from already and don’t need special preparation?

If Evan wins it won’t be because of pity votes. Many people love his dancing. It is not right to patronize and belittle a person who is extremely talented. Nigel should know better because he was a dancer. He knows what Evan has accomplished. Nigel’s behavior really pisses me off.

I voted for Jeanine. Her solo was the absolute highlight of the night !! (that and the paso). The fact that she’s actually in the top 4 says a lot. Coming into the competition, the other 3 already had a fanbase bcs of all the pimping.

pre-competition pimping examples:
Brandon: the highlights of his audition, the judges gushing over his amazingness starting w/ his audition, the whole mia drama, the whole sobbing after that red-head was prematurely cut. Ppl instantly wanted him to win.

Evan: the highlights of his audition, the whole cuteness that was him and his brother, judges gushing over his lovability and his uniqueness, the gut wrenching goodbye between the 2 brothers (and this was kept fresh in the audience’s mind w/ flashbacks and shots of the brother cheering in the audience)

Kayla: the whole farm girl bio, the adorable grandparents, her crying grandfather, and the judges declaring her the next coming with her first audition.

Jeanine: nada, nothing, zip. Correct me if I’m wrong, but her audition wasn’t highlighted like the other 3 (was it even shown?), there was no backstory, she came into the competition w/ us knowing nothing about her, much less her name. Throughout the entire competition, the judges (despite what some ppl here say) were luke-warm on her compared to kayla. Throughout most of the competition she was paired w/ phillip, whose star power overshadowed her, and his mediocre dancing (sorry phillip, you’re amazing in hip hop, and nothing else) brought her down. I mean, when they did their tango, I hardly saw her and kept gaping at phillipes horrible dancing.

Yet people came to love her. She stood out w/ her amazing solos, her personality, and her amazing partnering ability didn’t come out until that piece w/ jason. She, not Evan w/ his huge pre-competition fan base, is the true under-dog. And I hope she wins!!!

By the way: I don’t get why people keep saying kayla is a better technician than jeanine. Yes, Kayla has amazing lines, but her timing a lot of times is off. yes, she has beautiful long legs, and a wicked arch, yet routinely falls off her supporting leg.

Jeanine’s technique, as far as I can see, is as good as Kayla’s. I think Jeanine has a better center (of balance, in pirouettes for example, where she stays right on top of the foot that’s turning — no hopping, little to no correcting –and can stop on a dime). Her arm carriage (also called port de bras) IS WOW. I’d say she’s stronger classically than kayla. Jeanine also has better musicality and characterization.

a few other issues w/ kayla’s technique: her turns, for one. She falls out of them- they aren’t controlled like Jeanine, Brandon, or Evan. Her tilt is great, yes. Her lines are great, yes. But her turns are weak- I’ve never really seen her do anything beyond a double pirouette. Even in the Broadway tonight she fell out of the turns she was doing with Brandon noticeably too soon.

She also has no “launch” in her partner dancers. She’s fine with things going around her partners, but when there’s an actual lift (the disco, anyone?) it comes off as slow, clunky, and labored because her partners have to muscle her into the lifts rather than her assisting them in the lifts. Jeanine looks more effortless. Melissa had the best “launch” of the season, but Jeanine can hold her own. Jeanine, I think, is taller than Brandon and definitely heavier than Kayla, but Brandon seemed to have more trouble lifting Kayla. Jeanine makes it look effortless.

Wow! Did anyone else notice that Jeanine and Brandon missed or left out the lifts in the paso? I thought I maybe missed it last night, but reviewed the video and sure enough – there are lifts in the practice footage and none in the performance!

Overall, I thought the finale was a little boring, with many of the better routines danced earlier in the season. Cheerleading? Really? This is the top four and that’s the best they could come up with. And that jive was lame…

Jeanine, Brandon, and Kayla are tied for me, so I’ll be happy if any of them make it – J and B did leave out the lifts, though…

go4erfun, you do have a point on the pimping. On the one hand, the judges have been constantly beating down on Evan – and as other people have pointed out, it’s not the technical critiques that bug, it’s Nigel’s stupid personal comments and the fact that the technical critiques aren’t evenly distributed among the other contestants. OTOH Evan’s packages have been cut to make him a hugely sympathetic figure, with the whole brothers/audition story, which they actually *brought back* last night – for maximum effect!

So I dunno – maybe conflict among the producers? Nigel wants a girl to win, Simon Fuller wants Evan (or doesn’t care and just wants good TV)?

Jeanine I think the judges began to back when they saw Kayla wasn’t catching fire with audiences, and esp. once they lost Janette.

She also has no ‘launch’  in her partner dancers. She’s fine with things going around her partners, but when there’s an actual lift (the disco, anyone?) it comes off as slow, clunky, and labored because her partners have to muscle her into the lifts rather than her assisting them in the lifts. Jeanine looks more effortless. Melissa had the best ‘launch’  of the season, but Jeanine can hold her own. Jeanine, I think, is taller than Brandon and definitely heavier than Kayla, but Brandon seemed to have more trouble lifting Kayla. Jeanine makes it look effortless.

Good point. I’ve thought this was at least a bit of an issue — and sometimes a lot more than a bit — in almost every Kayla dance this season. She has wonderful lines but she doesn’t really know how to get into the air, it seems. It started becoming obvious when we saw how various guys could make Jeanine, Melissa, and Janette seem to fly while Kayla usually looked more hoisted. Especially with Melissa, who’s about the same size as Kayla, too.

I see some people quoting Dial Idol stats as references (which appears to be calling it between Jeanine and Brandon which would be fine). But why is DI suddenly reliable when all season people have said, “Don’t rely on the DI info. It isn’t reliable in this competition.”? Just curious.

One more comment on Jeanine…..her solo was A-mazing. I literally grabbed my husbands arm when she came out of that spin. The control! That’s HARD folks. Beyond hard. Most dancers just fall out (see Brandon and Kayla). Evan’s also able to control his spins – but he never gets kudos’s for doing it. But Jeanine….DAMN! Perfectly controlled. And beautiful to boot. I’m glad she got major props for doing it. Shankman began his career as a dancer – so he often catches little gifts like that. So bravo Jeanine! Such a strong dancer.

And yay for the Benji love! He was my favorite during his season. Travis’s skilz notwithstanding – Benji brought the flash. And I love his choreo too. Very inventive. Travis has turned out to be a great choreographer also. I must say that solo he did this season ranks amongst SYTYCD’s best.

I voted exclusively for Brandon the two hours straight. Dial Idol is predicting Brandon to be the winner. Kudos Brandon! We’ll see tonight.

i hope so!!! i voted for jeanine, forgot to vote for brandon (too tired) but i hope either of the two get the top prize tonite. evan and his short limbs can tap dance his butt out of my eyesight.

The bottom line is that it’s not the choreography that is showing Evan up – it’s putting him on stage next to Brandon doing the same moves.

whoop! thank you

the only fair thing would have been to do a Broadway routine similar to Evan’s solos LOL …and yet Brandon would have still out-danced him. Evan just doesn’t have the technique, power, lines, rhythm!!!, and attitude to pull off most dances.

dont worry evan fans, you have his brother next season…talk about pimping. he automatically gets an advantage over all the other dancers, ESPECIALLY if evan loses tonite.

dont worry evan fans, you have his brother next season’ ¦talk about pimping. he automatically gets an advantage over all the other dancers, ESPECIALLY if evan loses tonite.

Don’t know why you would automatically assume that Evan fans will view Ryan as their favorite dancer just because he is his brother. I love Evan but honestly not impressed with Ryan at all. ( I will even say Ryan should not have even made the top 16 men this year ) I am looking forward to the 17 year old that tried out for Season 5 but was two young to be considered. Nigel gave him a ticket to go right through to Season 6. ( I think his name is Nathan Trasoras) or Alex Wong. Hope he got out of his contract with the Miami Dance company. He is the best I have seen since Blake McGrath from Season 1.

Oh and Wond3rful this line had me chuckling even though I am an Evan fan: “evan and his short limbs can tap dance his butt out of my eyesight.” LOL you went there with short limbs dig. You are gutsy. ( Are you related to Nigel. lol) (just kidding)

I am about to have a heart attack here and am asking for help! My VCR/DVD player is broke. I do not have last night’s show, and I am going to a concert tonight. I don’t want to miss the Finale.

Would any one be able to get me a copy of both shows? Or even the Finale tonight? It can be a DVD copy OR a VCR copy. I REALLY want to see the show!

I WILL PAY FOR THE DVD or TAPE, PLUS PAY POSTAGE!!

I am such a fan and feel just miserable about this. The concert tickets were a surprise. HELP!!

Don’t know why you would automatically assume that Evan fans will view Ryan as their favorite dancer just because he is his brother.

not all, but he has an advantage…screen time a popular brother. not a bad situation to be in for Ryan. wont guarantee votes, but it puts him in a good position.

I am looking forward to the 17 year old that tried out for Season 5 but was two young to be considered. Nigel gave him a ticket to go right through to Season 6. ( I think his name is Nathan Trasoras) or Alex Wong

oh yeah!! i would love to see those guys in the top 20. that 17yr old kid was “sick” , amazing lines.

You are gutsy. ( Are you related to Nigel. lol) (just kidding)

hehe, i get it from my mother! trust me, her comments about evan are a lot worse. naughty naughty

I am such a fan and feel just miserable about this. The concert tickets were a surprise. HELP!!

MJ has great videos, you can watch it here.

most people DVR the show, i dont know how to make a dvd copy

Oh, thank you for the information, wand3rful ! I cannot view video on my computer. I am behind technology!