Trav's Thoughts

Welcome to



Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy are joined at the judge table by Toni Basil.

In case the name doesn't ring a bell...remember Hey Mickey? But lest you think she's just a wacky cheerleader type, Ms Basil began her career as a choreographer way back in 1964 on the show Shindig. And she began recording at A&M Records in 1966. Ms Basil has worked on such films as Pajama Party, American Graffiti, That Thing You Do, and My Best Friend's Wedding, and with such artists as Better Midler and Tina Turner. She was also instrumental in helping to shine a big bright light on American street dance.

And welcome back my darling LEGS...I mean Cat. Heheheheee.

Let's dance, shall we?


Karla, a 23 year old Jazz/Contemporary dancer, and Jonathan, a 21 year old Salsa dancer, are paired for Hip Hop choreographed by Dave Scott. We're bringing a "gangsta" love story vibe here. Karla is quickly becoming one of my favorite gals. She's proving how versatile she is each week. She had the flavor of the character and connected with the audience. I barely noticed Jonathan was there until he had that big leap and flip. As a whole, this routine was substandard. The choreography was smooth rather than sharp, but the piece was danced without the tightness it needed. The major steps they took forward last week were erased this week. They didn't connect with each other at all. I think they let the choreography down. They lacked synchronicity and groove.


Asuka, a 25 year old Latin ballroom dancer, and Vitolio, a 26 year old Contemporary dancer, are paired for Jazz choreographed by Mandy Moore. Mandy says this is thrash rocker jazz. Rehearsal was rough. I liked Vitolio in this. I thought he held the piece together and controlled the tempo. Asuka struggled just a bit. She doesn't seem to be as versatile in styles that don't have pairs work. This was a strong performance for Vitolio. He was confident and technically outstanding. His work in the lifts was excellent. He also put together a winning performance. Asuka was a bit weak, relying heavily on Vitolio to pull her through it. The one thing I do like is the chemistry between them. It shows on stage in the way he refuses to dance beyond her. I agree with Toni that they need to let the emotion they have for each other really permeate through their dancing.


Melissa, a 29 year old Ballet dancer, and Ade, a 20 year old Contemporary dancer, are paired for Rumba choreographed by Tony Meredith. This is international style, requiring very specific technique. If they can make this look as effortless as their first two dances, they will definitely emerge as favorites in this competition. But there were some problems. There were a couple of rough exchanges, and a couple of spots where it seemed she was falling without him there to catch her. Perhaps that was by design though. I'm used to smooth Rumba, and a couple of those fast lunges and spins didn't look right to me. They had a wonderful connection with each other and their hip work was excellent. Ade is an outstanding partner. I didn't see this as effortless as the prior two weeks, but what it did have was sensuality and passion. Very well done. These two might be the most versatile dancers in the group.


Janette, a 25 year old Salsa dancer, and Brandon, a 19 year old Contemporary dancer, are paired for Hip Hop choreographed by Dave Scott. Now we have rock meets hip hop. I liked this a lot. They attacked that choreography. They worked well together, playing off each other. She surprises me every time she takes the stage because she just doesn't look like she should be so good. And Brandon is really strong. This is another terrific partnership. The choreography was terrific and they nailed the story and style. That was really impressive. Dave saw what he had, and he took full advantage of it as he made this dance. Very well done.


Kayla, an 18 year old Jazz/Contemporary dancer, and Kupono, a 23 year old Lyrical/Contemporary dancer, are paired for Viennese Waltz choreographed by Jean-Marc Genereux. For those of you who have read my Dancing with the Stars reviews, you know that I want a fairy tale from any Waltz. They danced it barefoot to heighten the dream quality in the story. As expected, Kupono's length was an advantage for him. His extensions were really nice and finished. They had a lovely section of rise and fall. And the connection between the two of them was nice. I liked the dance but I wasn't blown away by it. They had an ethereal quality that helped the flow of the dance. I disagree a bit with Nigel, because a well done Waltz can capture the fancy of an audience and create a moment. This wasn't one of those Waltz's for me, and I don't think it belonged on the Hot Tamale train, but it had elements of elegance to it. It was a good effort and very enjoyable to watch.


Randi, a 23 year old Jazz dancer, and Evan, a 22 year old Broadway dancer, are paired for Contemporary choreographed by Mia Michaels. Mia says this dance is all about the booty. Wow. That was so quirky and odd and goofy. Randi and Evan took a series of movements out of Mia's strange imagination and made them come alive in a story that is going to be different for everyone who watches it. The choreography was simple, but the performance was memorable. I couldn't take my eyes off of it. That was a clear performance piece. They made the steps live. Dancers can be completely overwhelmed by Mia's movement, but Randi and Evan had total control over it. She was sexy and cheeky, and he was locked in. I loved it. Totally geeked out on this one.


Caitlin, a 21 year old Contemporary dancer, and Jason, a 21 year old Lyrical/Contemporary dancer, are paired for Paso Doble choreographed by Jean-Marc Genereaux. The marriage of costume and music was very dramatic. Jason wasn't strong and forceful enough in his movement. He needed to lead from his chest and through his hips, and whip her through each move. This dance was a little too big for him. But Caitlin was tremendous. She had the fire and passion, and attacked her role as the bull fighter's cape. This week she was connected to the piece and seemed more confident in what she was required to do. She was able to work through several spots where he did not hold the frame, and that's got to be tough to do because you lose your timing a little bit. The dance wasn't nearly as fierce as it could have been, but it was enjoyable to watch.


Jeanine, an 18 year old Contemporary dancer, and Phillip, a 20 year old Popper, are paired for Broadway choreographed by Tyce Diorio. For the two of them, that was well done. This isn't the kind of dancing they do. But it wasn't as good as I wanted it to be. It was fun choreography and they had a good time with it. Jeanine did a great job of playing the character in the dance. Phillip embraced the style, and you can tell that he's really working hard to get the steps and understand the technique. But he's at a disadvantage due to the lack of training, and it shows. He moves through the dance, but just misses on conveying story and character because he's not able to finish off movement and make it look easy. Jeanine outshines him, especially in a dance like this, because she understands how to do that.

I still think this is one of the most talented groups we've had. But I think the differentiating factor amongst the couples is versatility. Each of these dancers is amazing at their own style. But the key is going to continue to be which of them can embrace varied styles, and excel within that choreography.

My votes stayed with Randi and Evan this week. Pam rotated between those two, Melissa and Ade, and Janette and Brandon.

Tune in tonight for results!

Congratulations to LSU. They beat Texas last night to win the College World Series and the national championship of college baseball.