Save the Last Dance, but for Who?

So at the beginning of the summer I was pretty good about updating all of you about what was happening on one of my favorite shows, So You Think You Can Dance?. I mean, I updated you guys about it like, twice. Which is pretty good.

Well there are only two more weeks in the competition, and it's not too late to start watching. To be honest, this is one of the better times to start watching because only the top six dancers are left, meaning almost ALL of the routines should be really good at this point. I know from talking to friends that some people don't watch the show but happen to catch a few of the more popular performances while surfing YouTube. Well I thought I'd save you all some trouble (because I love you) and showcase the final six dancers with videos of my favorite of their performances. That way you know who to vote for (Chelsie).

First, the girls.

Katee Shean
I imagine Katee will be one of the two finalists, and is a SHOE IN for top four. She has never been in the bottom (via audience voting), and the judges have never disliked one of her performances. She's trained as a contemporary dancer, but has also been noted for her great Broadway style. She almost didn't make the show after expressing to the judges that this was her last year auditioning. For someone who was the last pick for the Top 20, she has done VERY well. One of my favorite performances from her was Week 4 in which she does a contemporary routine with her original partner Joshua (another top six dancer).



Chelsie Hightower
Chelsie is a Latin Ballroom dancer, and is younger than me. Which is just nutty, because she's already a star on a hit TV show and has is like a national champion or something. Meanwhile, I, at the rip age of nineteen, have trouble getting over fifty hits on my blog each week. Chelsie has been my favorite since about week two or three. I'm not saying she's THE BEST dancer on the show, but she's definitely one of the best and my favorite to watch. It doesn't hurt that she's totally cute either. I think Chelsie is destined to make the final four (she also has never been in the bottom), but I don't think she'll take the title home at the end of the season. My pick for my favorite routine? There are a LOT to choose from, but I decided to go with a contemporary piece with Gev (eliminated two weeks ago).



Courtney Galiano
Alright. I love the girl, and think she has the best solos every week (trained as a contemporary dancer), but she's only got one more week in the competition. She's up against Chelsie and Katee, neither of which have ever been in the bottom of the voting scale (unless Miss Galiano). She really is a great dancer, but for whatever reason she doesn't have the fanbase the other two women do. So sorry, Courtney, but hey! Top 3 girls isn't too bad! My pick for her routine is a jazz routine (done by my favorite choreographer Mandy Moore- no, not the singer/actress) with Gev (again). A really great concept, and just an all around fun piece.

Joshua Allen
All right here is my pick for the winner of the competition. He is a hip-hop dancer (with a little ballet training) that has won the heart of America. He's so humble and sweet and just adorable. Plus he's a surprisingly versatile dancer. The judges have never said a bad word about him and he has also NEVER been in the bottom. Plus, he has braces, which just adds to his charm. Seriously, he's like a big teddy bear that you just want to hold. I absolutely think he will be one of the final two (final four is a guarantee), and I'd be pretty surprised if he didn't win (though his only competition may be his long-time partner Katee). My pick for my favorite Josh routine is probably his and Katee's first (a lyrical hip-hop) but I've already linked that once in this blog (see like, my second post ever) so I'll choose another. His Bollywood routine with Katee. Something about a large black man dancing Bollywood is just tooooo good.

"Twitch" Boss
Twitch missed the Top 20 last season by just a hair. Luckily he made it this season, is in the top six, and has a pretty good chance at making top four. He's a hip-hop dancer with AMAZING solos, but doesn't always do the best in his partner dances. The audience loves him, but he was surprisingly in the bottom two this past week. Twitch fans will have to step up their game if they want him in the season finale, but he has a pretty good shot at it. My favorite Twitch routine is another contemporary one. I think I just really like the concept of this rather than Twitch's dancing (not that it's bad). Whatever, here's the vid.

Mark Kanemura
If you had told me at the beginning that this Hawaii native was going to be in the top six I probably wouldn't have believed you. Hell, if you had told me four days ago I wouldn't have believed you. But, the people have spoken and he is still in the competition. It's not that he's a bad dancer (hell he was one of my favorite simply because he was paired with Chelsie), but it doesn't seem like Mark has really done anything to garner such a big fanbase. I suppose its his quirkyness and charm. Whatever it is, I think this is going to be the last week for it. He has a shot at top four, but I think Twitch fans will vote in the millions after he was in the bottom two this week. My favorite Mark performance in a lyrical hip-hop with his original partner Chelsie (and to be honest, I think she outdances him in the routine).

So there you have it America, you're top six dancers. Even if you don't watch the show, I do urge you to check out at least some of the posted videos or to look some up on YouTube. These dancers really are extremely talented, and there's stuff from hip-hop to samba, to contemporary, to the cha-cha. Whatever you're in to, they've probably done it.

ALSO. The new Danity Kane video for "Bad Girl" (featuring Missy Elliot) has premiered and can be found on YouTube. I'll let you look it up for yourselves because to be honest, I'm not that impressed with it.

Why I'd Take a Bad Girl Over a Pussy Anyday

I like women. I like women who can sing. And I like women who can dance.

These qualities have inevitably made me a fan of such stars as Janet Jackson, Madonna, and Britney Spears. What I like more than a woman that sings and dances? A group of women who can sing and dance. This applies both to chorus girls and girl groups. I mean, I like TLC and Destiny's Child, but my favorite girl group at the moment probably has to be handed over to Danity Kane. I mean, you've got three hot girls, one pretty attractive one, and Aubrey (who is sometimes hot and sometimes scary kinds of trashy). And as we've all (or at least a few) seen, they were good enough singers and dancers to "make the band" in Diddy's reality show competition. These girls are no Eden's Crush though, they have produced some really great tracks and even a couple of good videos.

I never thought Danity Kane (who were named after a doodle one of the girls drew that Diddy liked) were as popular as they could be, but it never really hit me until I stumbled upon Wikipedia's chart of top selling r&b girl groups, on which Danity Kane does not appear. Alright, they're pretty new to the game, not a HUGE surprise there. But what group is #5 on the list? The freaking Pussycat Dolls. Sudden revelations began hitting me. Both were girl groups, both perform pop/r&b, both had TV shows, both have five members, hell, Nicole (the lead PCD) even was discovered via "Popstars" as a member of Eden's Crush, and yet PCD has sold a helluva lot more albums than the girls from Making the Band.

Why? Personally, I think the girls of Danity Kane are as a group more talented singers, are much more attractive, and have produced just as good-if not better-albums than PCD. Hell, a rejected Danity Kane contestant was a finalist to be one of the new Pussycat Dolls on their show (she didn't make either group in the end). I would love to write a blog about how people are just dumb for liking PCD more, but I think I have to chalk it all up to management.

Let's look at it. PCD has had two TV shows, have made a BAZILLION TV appearances, have even recorded a version of one of their singles for an upcoming Sims game. Although the Dolls have only released one album to date (with their second scheduled for September), they are currently promoting and performing their 8th single.

Danity Kane had been featured in four seasons of television viewing pleasure, but two of those were of the girls actually trying to make the group. And one was shared with Diddy's other two reality-made projects, but we'll call it even with the Dolls at two seasons. DK has released two studio albums, but will be releasing only their FIFTH single sometime this or next week.

So, it looks like PCD may have taken the edge due to more singles (especially because one of DK's singles was a self-penned Christmas song). I would also argue that PCD (or their management) have made better choices in terms of single choice. PCD appeals to men because they're (kind of) sexy women, singing about being sexy women. Almost all of their singles are about their level of hotness, and their sexual prowess. Guys respond to this, and girls are split between idolizing the Dolls and their own inner burlesque dancer, or jealously calling the Dolls a bunch of sluts.

Danity Kane? Their first song was a girl power anthem (about cars?), and their second a ballad about commitment. Now, I liked the show enough to pick up their debut CD, but if they had just hit the charts with these two songs, I probably wouldn't have. Their first album also features songs about their woman parts and how they want to use them to please me (their average male follower). It seems that instead of releasing "Ride for You", a song with lyrics like:

Let's take it back to three years ago
When you said that we could make it through whatever, ever
And to me it sounded like you meant forever, ever
Leaving was not an option, baby, never, never
Now don't you believe in a love that's worth a fight
In you is everything that I'm missing
So give us a chance

Instead, perhaps they should have released something like "Touching My Body":

Ohh, you're touching my body
Ohh, you must want me to get started
Boy I can't take it, it's so crazy how you're making me feel
How you're making me feel!

If I put you on, would you like that?
Keep it nice and warm, do you like that?
We do it on the floor, do you like that?
I wanna give you some more, I know you like that

I mean, do I have to say that sex sells? C'mon girls. They compromised with their recent hit "Damaged", which isn't such a sexy song, but comes with a video filled to the brim with the girls in tiny metallic bikinis and plenty footage of the girls dancing for you.

Things do seem to be looking up for the girls though. I understand they recently performed on Nashville Star (on their "pop" performance night). It's not the Super Bowl, but it's a start to get their name out. And it looks like their next single might see the success of some of the racier PCD songs. It's called "Bad Girl" and features Missy Elliot. It's not all that provacative, but the title makes it seem like it is, and they're definitely singing to a guy. Look for it to premiere soon, as the girls are filming sometime this week.

My pick for the next single? Strip Tease:

Just wanna please you
Blow out you candle in my birthday suit, surprise
Just let me make your night
I'll do you like you like
I'll fulfill your needs
Keep you tip, this one's on me

Eh? Eh? With songs like that (and them actually being RELEASED), DK should be able to go head to head with PCD. I mean, I don't know how you could go wrong when you were trained by Laurie Ann Gibson.