Trav's Thoughts

Some songs caught my ear during my recent vacation.  I thought I would share a few of them this week for Set 79.  I couldn't find some on Playlist.com, so let's go to the video.

Something Stupid as released by Nancy and Frank Sinatra in 1967


Misty Blue as released by Dorothy Moore in 1975


99 Miles from LA as performed by Johnny Mathis in 1985


Softly, as I Leave You as released by Matt Monroe in 1962


Sway as released by Dean Martin in 1954


If you'd like to join in, here are the guidelines:

1. Grab the banner, make your post title Five on Friday, and be sure to link back here.

2. Go to Playlist.com to make your Set of five songs. You may choose a particular theme to share with us, or post random tunes if that's your vibe for the day. You can simply post the Set, or you can add a little summary about what you are sharing.

2a. Don't feel restricted by the tracks listed on Playlist.com. And don't be discouraged if the Embed code won't work. You're welcome to use any type of media to share your Sets.

3. Be sure to sign Mr Linky so everyone can visit your Set.

4. No tags, but feel free to invite your friends to play along if they need a post topic on a Friday.

Go forth and enjoy music!

Welcome to encores and results!

Gosh there was some really really good stuff last night.  Enjoy the video.

Dance of the night honors go to Melanie and All Star Neil for their brilliant Contemporary piece, choreographed by Mandy Moore.  Click here if the video doesn't play.



Dance of the night honors go to Marko and All Star Allison for their brilliant Contemporary piece, choreographed by Sonya Tayeh.  Click here if the video doesn't play.



Dance of the night goes to Melanie and Sasha for their brilliant Jazz piece, choreographed by Sonya Tayeh.  Click here if the video doesn't play.



Yes I did mean to give dance of the night honors to all three of these pieces.  There were some other very good routines, but these three stood out by far.

Cat Deeley update:  Ahhhh...loose and wavy hair.  Love that!  Shoulders are covered, but the dress is still very nice, precious, yess indeed.  Excellent shoes.  And LEGSSES!

The group dance was outstanding.  Some of Tyce's best work.

Oh gosh!  It's only two weeks until the finale!  Yikes!

Results...Sasha is safe.  Melanie is safe.  Marko is safe.  Ricky is safe.

In danger...Jordan, Caitlynn, Jess, Tadd.

I'm a little surprised by that result for the guys.  But Ricky's fans pulled him through.  Doesn't bode well for Jess because the judges love Tadd.

All I can say to the League of Extraordinary Dancers is...WHOA!



Solos

• Jordan - She looks very confident, but I didn't care for the solo.
• Jess - Broadway all the way.  The leaps were incredible.
• Caitlynn - I don't think that solo was very well conceived.
• Tadd - Tricks and tricks and tricks...then toss in personality.

Nigel says they weren't unanimous, but it's a process to find America's favorite dancer.  But someone has to go home, and they essentially went with America's vote.

Nigel tells the gals that they didn't give their best in the solos, and then tells Jordan that they are letting her go.



Nigel tells the guys that Jess is a sensational character and he has grown, and that Tadd is unique coming from a non-dance background.  Then he tells Jess that he is going home.


After telling Tadd after his performances Wednesday that he was headed for the finale, it doesn't surprise me that the judges backed that up and chose him over Jess.  I was a little surprised that the judges chose Caitlynn over Jordan, but I don't think either of them will unseat Sasha or Melanie next week.

Our purpose is to find America's favorite dancer.  There can be only one, which means some outstanding performers are going home before the confetti falls on the champion.

Tune in next week when our Top 6 will dance for votes to earn a spot in the finale.  My prediction for the Final Four - Melanie, Marko, Sasha, and Tadd.



Remember we're counting down the days to 4 November 2011 and the 8th Blog Blast for Peace with 100 reasons to Blog for Peace.

Reason 98:  Because Peace Bloggers remind me, through their words and images, of the commonalities we all share as human beings.

Join the movement this November.  You know you want to.

You see the stuff in my side bar about Peace in the Bloggosphere?  Most of you know that I'm a Peace Blogger.  In fact, most of you are Peace Bloggers too.

If you don't know what Peace Blogging is all about, read Papa's Marbles to get the original story of the genesis of Dona Nobis Pacem.

Have you seen Mimi's new challenge to bring awareness to the movement?  Mimi Writes:

This is my challenge:  If you are a peace blogger (even if you're not!) join me in counting down to the next Blog Blast for Peace on 4 November 2011.  We say we want peace?  The world wants to know why.  Let's tell them.  Simply post this logo on your blog or FB page with one reason each day for the next 100 days.  How many reasons can we find?  Let's go!

I am in!

The 100 days began yesterday, so today I have these two reasons why I blog for Peace.

Reason 100:  Because "Words are...the most inexhaustible source of magic; capable of inflicting injury and remedying it."  Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.

Reason 99:  Because every time I make a new Peace Globe, whether for myself or for a friend who asks for my help, I feel positive energy.  And every time I post a Peace Globe on my blog, I feel like I'm spreading positive energy.

Join us if you dare!

Welcome to

I'm back for full reviews through the rest of the season! 

Cat Deeley update:  I like the hair...a combination of loose and controlled with a braid.  Definitely dig the frock.  Outstanding shoes.  LEGSSES...brilliant!

Nygel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy are joined on the panel by choreographer and director Rob Marshall and Lady Gaga.

Our Top 8 pair up with All Stars and with each other this week.  First up, All Star dances.

Sasha is paired with All Star Pasha Kovalev from Season 3 for Quickstep choreographed by Jonathan Roberts.  Yes that Jonathan Roberts from DWTS!  Now that was some inventive choreography.  Sasha continues to improve.  She had a great moment last week with that outstanding Hip Hop with Twitch.  This week she built on her feminine expression with sophisticated and elegant work.  She was contained and controlled, and focused on technique.  I was concerned for her in this style, but she had her head up and her shoulders back, and she fit right within the perfect frame that Pasha established for her.  I really liked this performance and I thought the quirky Quickstep choreography from Jonathan really suited her.  Well done.

Caitlynn is paired with All Star Ivan Koumaev from Season 3 for Hip Hop choreographed by Marty Kudelka.  I appreciate this kind of hip hop choreography because it has a real story you can follow and isn't just about a bunch of sharp movements strung together to hype up a crowd.  This piece was about movement that wove the dancers together.  It was detailed and slow and sensual.  What I liked about Caitlynn is that she worked the character she was given.  She developed chemistry with Ivan very quickly.  The piece sparked.  I think for hip hop, Caitlynn can work on loosening her center and feeling the motion and sway of the dance...I think this lyrical style is about interpreting the story through musicality.  I thought she did very well, but I think Ivan carried the piece because of his ultra smooth style.  Good to see that young man again.

Jordan is paired with All Star Ade Obayomi from Season 5 for Jazz choreographed by Tyce Diorio.  It's another great routine for Jordan.  Technically she is outstanding, and she's adding performance elements that I think were lacking early on in the competition.  I'm really glad she has gotten this far.  I thought the choreography started to let her down just a little bit through the middle and toward the end of the piece.  It became about kicks and poses and lifts.  When she was dancing, she was tearing up the stage.  Lifts and tricks are fine, but I want to watch her dance.  Although she really makes all those lifts and tricks and poses look fantastic and effortless, I didn't care for the overload through the end of the piece.

Melanie is paired with All Star Neil Haskell from Season 3 for Conteporary choreographed by Mandy Moore.  She's gotten so many breaks with the styles she's been asked to dance.  But even so, the Lady is a super star.  She doesn't put a foot wrong.  She makes everything look easy.  This piece was powerful and and grown up.  I just don't have enough adjectives for the way she dances.  That moment when she ran across the stage and threw herself at Neil with so much abandon...excellent.  Gaga said she would hire Melanie tomorrow to dance in her world tour.  She is the kind of dancer who doesn't invite you on stage into the piece with her...she requires you to be in the moment with her and she won't take no for an answer, which is fine because you never want to tell her no anyway.  It has nothing to do with steps.  It is pure and powerful and ethereal.  Magic.

Ricky is paired with All Star Anya Garnis from Season 3 for Jive choreographed by Jason Gilkison.  I liked Ricky's enthusiasm for what he was doing.  This was just about dancing the Jive without any extraneous story or motivation.  It was about making the most of all the cool steps that you can put in a Jive.  But the problem I had with it was that he wasn't extending and finishing things off.  His kicks were quick and he was a credible partner for Anya, but there was just something missing from Ricky.  It was like there was a pause between every movement.  Also, he was dancing a little tall and stiff for my taste.  I thought his dancing was inconsistent.  I thought he did a good job, but a good job against this field just isn't good enough.

Jess is paired with All Star Lauren Gottlieb from Season 3 for Hip Hop choreographed by Tabitha and Napoleon Dumo.  Jess doesn't have the swag from strong hip hop technique.  Rather it comes from an innate and natural ability to perform.  He is at home on stage, and that translates into any style he tries.  I thought Jess was well matched with Lauren in the piece and I thought that the choreography really suited him.  I was impressed by the way he focused on the small details in the performance.  And he found the natural pauses without stalling between each movement.  He is theatrical, but he is learning to interpret instead of just perform, and to keep the movement simple when simple is all that is required.  Well done.

Tadd is paired with All Star Lauren Froderman from Season 7 for Jazz choreographed by Mandy Moore.  I really like this routine.  The movement was super cool and stylish.  I'm impressed every week by Tadd because the various styles he has been asked to dance haven't phased him at all.  Even when he lost control of the hat in this piece, it never bothered him.  That proves to me that he's a dancer.  The steps don't matter.  He adapts.  His musicality carries him through every bit of movement.  And he is adding depth to his performances, finding the little smiles and winks and shoulder nudges that really speak to an audience.  Well done.

Marko is paired with All Star Allison Holker from Season 2 for Contemporary choreographed by Sonya Tayeh.  What a moment.  This piece reminded us that a life is made up of a series of moments and each one must be recognized for what it is, accepted for what it was, and lived the best we can.  This was one of Sonya's best, and she had two outstanding performers to interpret the vision.  That piece resounded on so many levels.  I'm thinking about peace these days, and this dance brought all those thoughts to life.  It was passionate and profound.  The artistry from both Marko and Allison was so pure and sincere, and it made the piece speak.  Breathtaking.

Next up, we have our Top 8 paired off with each other for their second dances.

Caitlynn and Tadd dance Foxtrot choreographed by Jonathan Roberts.  This was completely classic Foxtrot.  Both kids were elegantly attired and certainly looked the part.  I have no complaints with this dance.  I thought Tadd was an excellent lead, providing a fine frame for Caitlynn.  Her extensions were complete and her lines wonderful.  They embraced the style and looked sophisticated.  Mary pointed out the technical errors from a purely ballroom standpoint, but I enjoyed the performance.

Marko and Ricky dance Hip Hop choreographed by Tabitha and Napoleon.  Lots of props that could have gone wrong.  But they managed them just fine.  I thought Marko was the star of the piece.  He left his contemporary technique at the door and just dropped into the movement.  I thought Ricky was still dancing too tall again, and it impacted their synchronization.  I was entertained by the piece, but I didn't think it was one of the best of the night.

Jordan and Jess dance Rumba choreographed by Jason Gilkison.  I thought Jess controlled the piece very well.  He held the tempo together.  He did not have full range of motion Rumba hips.  But he made up for that with his complete mastery of lifts.  Unfortunately they didn't develop the kind of sensual and erotic chemistry of a Rumba, but perhaps that wasn't required in this piece.  I think that they danced well based on what they were given and the time they had to work with it.  I liked Jordan in the piece.  I thought she did a good job of matching the theatricality that Jess brings to his work.

Melanie and Sasha dance Jazz choreographed by Sonya Tayeh.  This is the kind of piece in which Sasha's power really shines.  In watching these two side by side, the difference I notice is that you can "see" Sasha work, whereas Melanie was equally if not more powerful, but I couldn't "see" her work at it.  But even with that small difference, these two together were amazing.  It was a tribute to the strength of women.  Outstanding!

So another great show.  I think it's all going to come down to versatility now. 

If you make me choose, I think Ricky's journey comes to an end tonight.  For the gals, I think maybe Caitlynn or possibly Jordan.

Tune in tonight for results, and check back tomorrow for encores and my results recap.

Peace!

Yes, Virginia, there is a 2011 NFL season.

I don't know the particulars of the new collective bargaining agreement between the NFLPA and the owners.  I don't actually care.  All I know is that we will have professional football this fall.

My Raiders report to camp today.  I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility to expect Oakland to challenge for a playoff spot.  They finished 8-8 last season.  They went 6-0 against the AFC West.  They were 5-3 at home.  The problem was road games.  A couple more road wins and they challenge for the division title. 

As the LOLCats say, I has a optimism.

If the schedule is as reported on NFL.com, then I'll get an early indication.  My Raiders travel to Denver for the second half of the Monday night double feature on 12 September.

Huzzah for football!  GO RAIDERS!!!

I just wanted to share a little bit of SYTYCD news before reviews resume.

First order of business...Emmy nominations!

• Finally it's a nod to LEGSSES!!!  Cat Deeley takes her rightful place as a nominee for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program along with Jeff Probst from Survivor, Phil Keoghan from The Amazing Race, Tom Bergeron from Dancing with the Stars, and Ryan Seacrest from American Idol.
• SYTYCD is nominated as Outstanding Reality Competition Program along with The Amazing Race, Project Runway, American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, and Top Chef.
• Mia Michaels is nominated for her body of work - Alice in Mia-Land featuring the Season 7 Top 11 and All Stars, When We Dance featuring the Season 7 Top 8, and This Bitter Earth featuring Billy Bell, Alex Wong, and All Star Ade Obayomi.
• Stacey Tookey is nominated for her body of work - Mad World featuring Billy Bell and All Star Ade Obayomi, Sundrenched World featuring Kent Boyd and Allison Holker, and Heaven is a Place on Earth featuring Robert Roldan and All Star Kathryn McCormick.
• Travis Wall is nominated for his body of work - Collide featuring Kent Boyd and Lauren Froderman, How it Ends featuring Kent Boyd and All Star Neil Haskell, Fix You featuring Robert Roldan and All Star Allison Holker.
• Tabitha and Napoleon D'Umo have been nominated for their body of work - Scars featuring Robert Roldan and All Star Dominic Sandoval, Fallin' featuring AdeChike Torbert and All Star Comfort Fedoke, and Outta Your Mind featuring Alex Wong and All Star Twitch Boss.
• Mandy Moore has been nominated for her body of work - Oh Yeah featuring  Lauren Froderman and All Star Ade Obayomi, Boogie Shoes featuring Billy Bell and Lauren Froderman, and I Surrender featuring SYTYCD UK winner Charlie Bruce and All Star Neil Haskell.
• SYTYCD is nominated for several technical awards.

Yeah.  As talented as the group from Season 7 was...the kids from this year are a step better.

Next order of business...we managed to add All Stars and get down to our Top 8 dancers in the last two weeks.  Our Top 8 is:

• Caitlynn Lawson
• Jess Leprotto
• Jordan Casanova
• Marko Germar
• Melanie Moore
• Ricky Jaime
• Tadd Gadduang
• Sasha Mallory

And finally, here are some encores from last week's performances.

Caitlynn danced a sexy and sophisticated Argentine Tango with All Star Pasha Kovalev from Season 3.



Jess proved he can manage lifts as he danced Contemporary with All Star Kathryn McCormick from Season 6.



Jordan was a revelation as she danced Contemporary with All Star Brandon Bryant from Season 5.



Marko was outstanding as he danced Samba with All Star Chelsie Hightower from Season 4.



Melanie was sublime as she danced Viennese Waltz with All Star Pasha.



Ricky danced a sinister Jazz piece with All Star Allison Holker from Season 2.  I admit it...I couldn't take my eyes off of Allison.



Tadd showed off his swag in a Hip Hop with All Star Comfort Fedoke from Season 4.



Dance of the night was the incredible Lyrical Hip Hop danced by Sasha with All Star Twitch Boss from Season 4, choreographed by Christopher Scott.



Tune in tomorrow night when our Top 8 hit the stage again!

Congratulations to Cadel Evans, who overcame every challenge and emerged as the winner of the 2011 Tour de France on Sunday.

The first week of the race was about survival and staying out of trouble as the crashes came hard and fast with severe injuries spread among the field of riders.  Several top contenders had to drop out of the race, but Evans managed to stay clean and safe with the help of his BMC team.


Then came the second week and the Pyranees, when French cyclist Thomas Voeckler attacked the field and took hold of the yellow jersey.  His combativeness kept him in yellow for 9 days while the general contenders tried to sort out strategies for the stages to come in the Alps.

Then came the third week, when the general contenders finally began to impose their will on the field.  Andy Schleck will win this race some day.  He mounted an epic challenge during Stage 18, breaking away with about 40 miles still to race up the peaks of Galibier Serre and Chevalier.  Schleck's move put nearly 4 minutes on his rivals at one time during the climbs.  Had he been able to hold that time, it very likely would have been enough to seem him through to the final podium in yellow.


But Evans steady and massive tempo forged his come back up Chevalier to close the gap back to 57 seconds by the end of the stage.  Although Schleck finally wrestled the yellow jersey from Voeckler on Stage 19, he was unable to hold off Evans in the time trial on Stage 19.

I missed quite a bit of the Tour while I was on vacation in Arizona.  We got home in time to applaud the determination of Thomas Voeckler, the aggressiveness of Andy Schleck, and the steady relentlessness of Cadel Evans.  Evans won the Tour because he understood his strengths and minimized his weaknesses.  Evans is a superb strategist and never lost confidence in his fitness or basic plan.  Schleck came up short again, but only because he is average in the individual time trials.  He is a magnificent climber, an aggressive and brave rider, and a tremendous tactician in the mountain stages.

I like Andy Schleck and I root for him to win.  He's only 26, just coming into his prime as a professional cyclist.  He's going to improve his time trial ability and become an excellent champion.  I suspect he'll win several Tours de France.

I've always liked Cadel Evans.  He rides with dignity and respect for the sport and his fellow competitors.  Things broke well for him when he decided to join the BMC team.  Evans is 34 and time was definitely running out on his chances to win the Tour.  He won a world cycling championship in 2010.  And now he has followed that up with the dedication and commitment to winning the Tour de France.  Those are professional cycling jewels in the crown of achievement.

Congratulations Cadel Evans, champion.

We're just back from our trip to Arizona to visit the folks.  I enjoyed seeing them, but DAMN IT WAS HOT!

Harry Potter was excellent.  We saw it twice.  Since we're still technically on vacation, perhaps we'll go see it one more time in the theater.  I can report that the series came to a very satisfying end with this final film.  I'll likely provide a more complete review sometime next week.

For Set 78 I thought I'd share some songs with either a town or a landmark or the state of Arizona in the lyrics.  Happy Friday!




If you'd like to join in, here are the guidelines:

1. Grab the banner, make your post title Five on Friday, and be sure to link back here.

2. Go to Playlist.com to make your Set of five songs. You may choose a particular theme to share with us, or post random tunes if that's your vibe for the day. You can simply post the Set, or you can add a little summary about what you are sharing.

2a. Don't feel restricted by the tracks listed on Playlist.com. And don't be discouraged if the Embed code won't work. You're welcome to use any type of media to share your Sets.

3. Be sure to sign Mr Linky so everyone can visit your Set.

4. No tags, but feel free to invite your friends to play along if they need a post topic on a Friday.

Go forth and enjoy music!

Happy Harry Potter Day!

The final film in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II, premiers this weekend and today is the day we'll be seeing it with my mom.  I'm pretty stoked.

Yes, I said it.  I'm stoked about a kid's movie and I'm not in the least embarrassed.  It was a terrific series of books and a great series of films.  There's a lot more going on in these films than just an adaptation of an acclaimed series of youth fiction.

There are some pretty serious themes in this series...dealing with death and loss at a young age, enduring abuse and bullying from the adults charged with your care, overcoming prejudice, power and the abuse of power, and freedom of choice.  Over all is the simple theme of adolescence and the challenges involved just to grow up, and the choice between doing what is right or doing what is easy.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was released in the UK on 30 June 1997.  It was released in the US as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone on 1 September 1998.  Today's Set is music from Academy Award winning composer John Williams, who wrote the score for the first three Harry Potter films.

Most of them you'll know with your eyes closed after the first few notes.




If you'd like to join in, here are the guidelines:

1. Grab the banner, make your post title Five on Friday, and be sure to link back here.

2. Go to Playlist.com to make your Set of five songs. You may choose a particular theme to share with us, or post random tunes if that's your vibe for the day. You can simply post the Set, or you can add a little summary about what you are sharing.

2a. Don't feel restricted by the tracks listed on Playlist.com. And don't be discouraged if the Embed code won't work. You're welcome to use any type of media to share your Sets.

3. Be sure to sign Mr Linky so everyone can visit your Set.

4. No tags, but feel free to invite your friends to play along if they need a post topic on a Friday.

Go forth and enjoy music!

I'd like to point you in the direction of a new online magazine dedicated to high quality short fiction.  It's called White Cat Magazine, edited by Rick Moore, author and writer of the blog The Writer and the White Cat.

From the home page:

White Cat Publications is devoted to both presenting and developing excellent fiction. The world of publishing is changing dramatically, offering new and exciting possibilities for writers. It is our goal to explore this new frontier to bring the best in writing to you, our readers.

I stumbled on Rick's blog some time ago.  He has always provided thought provoking essays on the craft of writing.  The excerpts he has shared from his own work are well written and chillingly good.  His devotion to writers and the protection of their work from those who would plagiarize it is admirable.  And he often has an encouraging word for insecure writers like me who are just trying to find their way.

Rick has collected some outstanding short fiction to include in this first edition.  I encourage you to check it out.  You'll even find some good work from a couple of blog pals of mine, Charles Gramlich and Stewart Sternberg.

Rick - Congratulations on the launch and best wishes for continued success!

By the summer of 1940, Hitler's Blitzkrieg across Europe had forced the evacuation of over 300,000 French and British troops at Dunkirk.  Paris had fallen, the the majority of western Europe lay under Nazi occupation.  Hitler's generals began consolidating their hold and planning for an invasion of Britain, which would begin with the destruction of the Royal Air Force.

The Battle of Britain hinged on air superiority.  Britain's forces had to retain it and Germany had to gain it in order to launch Operation Sea Lion, which was the name given to the plan to invade England by sea and with airborne troops.

The German Luftwaffe included 2.550 aircraft, most notably the Messerschmitt Bf 109E and Bf 110C fighters.  Initially the RAF relied on the Hurricane MkI and Spitfire Mk I, putting a little less than 2,000 aircraft into service.  Although the Luftwaffe fighters were faster, the British had access to high octane fuel to increase power. 

The battle raged over the UK from mid July through the end of October 1940.  Luftwaffe casualties included nearly 2,700 killed, 967 captured, and more than 600 missing.  The British destroyed nearly 1,900 aircraft.  The RAF lost 544 killed, 422 wounded, and over 1,500 aircraft destroyed.

The efforts of The Few, as the British forces are remembered, ultimately made Hitler realize that an invasion of the Isle would be lengthy and costly, with the outcome uncertain.  Nazi strategies were altered from direct fighter contact to Blitz bombing of British cities.

Although the battle was a decisive victory for the RAF over the Luftwaffe, it was still only 1940.  There were still five more years of hard fighting and suffering, in Britain and across the globe. 

But the efforts of The Few, and the hardiness of the British people in the face of the Blitz bombings, proved that the Germans could be turned away from an objective.  Victory was possible.

Yikes!  I decided not to do A Summer of History Set, but then I nearly didn't have a Set today.  Luckily Pam came to the rescue.  She said that since our vacation begins as soon as we leave the office this evening, let's do random tunes from our Travel Mix.

So that's what I did!

Happy Vacation to us!




If you'd like to join in, here are the guidelines:

1. Grab the banner, make your post title Five on Friday, and be sure to link back here.

2. Go to Playlist.com to make your Set of five songs. You may choose a particular theme to share with us, or post random tunes if that's your vibe for the day. You can simply post the Set, or you can add a little summary about what you are sharing.

2a. Don't feel restricted by the tracks listed on Playlist.com. And don't be discouraged if the Embed code won't work. You're welcome to use any type of media to share your Sets.

3. Be sure to sign Mr Linky so everyone can visit your Set.

4. No tags, but feel free to invite your friends to play along if they need a post topic on a Friday.

Go forth and enjoy music!

Welcome to

I'm not sure I like this new wonky Blogger format.  It doesn't seem to have solved the minor annoyances I've learned to live with.  It has made things a little more difficult to find and organize.  I had trouble getting the date right to publish properly.

I thought upgrades were supposed to make things easier...or is that me just being silly?

I guess it'll just take some getting used to.

Wait...that's not what I wanted to tell you.  I wanted to tell and show you our encore picks from Wednesday's performances!  DOH!

The judges were lukewarm to the Hip Hop from Sasha and Alexander, but we thought it was a strong performance despite what may have been lacking technically.



We thought the Smooth Waltz from Jordan and Tadd was ethereal and unexpectedly elegant.  Remember when you watch the beautifully controlled rise and fall that Tadd is a hip hop dancer.



We enjoyed the quirky Jazz from Ryan and Ricky.  Their synchronization is really outstanding.



The judges thought the Contemporary from Caitlynn and Mitchell was the best performance of the night.  We did think it was wonderful, but we thought that the emotion built naturally into the choreography made it seem more than it was.  We were not as emotionally affected by it as the judges, although we think it was one of the best of the night.



Our choice for dance of the night was the Contemporary from Clarice and Jess.  I wasn't certain I was going to like the style of the choreography, but both dancers were so immersed in the characters and each other, that the emotion of the piece was nearly overwhelming.  We were impressed by their control of the staccato movement. 



Good stuff.

Cat update:  That's the hair I like!  Curly and free falling.  The shimmery sparkly frock is excellent also.  LEGSSES...always lovely.  But I'm not sure about the shoesses.

Hey!  I think this is our first every Bollywood group dance.  I think they did a great job with that.

The panel tonight is down to just Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, and Travis Wall.  Evidently Carmen Electra had somewhere else to be.

Results...Melanie and Marko are safe.  Caitlynn and Mitchell are safe.  Clarice and Jess are safe.  Sasha and Alexander are safe.

Bottom three...Ashley and Chris, Jordan and Tadd, Ryan and Ricky.

Solos...

• Ashley - For some reason I'm just not a fan of her solo work.
• Chris - Excellent work.
• Jordan - She demonstrated tremendous control of her movement.
• Tadd - A little old school hip hop full of personality...loved it.
• Ryan - She poured so much emotion into the piece.
• Ricky - He makes everything look so effortless.

I would eliminate Ashely for the girls.  I like her in most of the choreographed pieces, but I'm just not feeling her solos.  It's a much tougher call for the guys.  I think I'll say Chris, but only because I think Tadd and Ricky are more versatile.

First the gals...Nigel tells all the girls they are beautiful.  He tells everyone that they need to show us a different side, even if they happen to draw their own style.  He tells Jordan to diversity and wonders what else she has to offer.  He tells Ryan that she danced a really good routine, and I'm wondering why he doesn't have more to tell her.  He tells Ashley that she has been good throughout but hasn't peaked, but she won't get a chance to peak.

Jordan and Ryan will stay.  Ashley is eliminated. 



Now the guys...Nigel tells Ricky that he is the best contemporary dancer next to Marko, but he is not connecting with America and needs to solve that with Ryan.  Nigel tells Chris that he delivers his best when dancing for his "life", but hasn't found the same level with the choreographed pieces.  Nigel says that Travis really wants to work with Tadd.

Ricky and Tadd will stay.  Chris is eliminated, and it does come down to versatility.



Damn...even though I called who should be eliminated, it just gets harder each week.  I can't think of a season that has been so hard to see the kids go.

OK now, you're on your own next week because Pam and I will be in Arizona with the folks.  We'll watch the show, but there won't be a recap.

Nope...not even a video recap.  We're on VACATION!!

Did you see?  I just did a happy dance!!

Later gang!