SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE Finale
December 15, 2009 by Kath Skerry
UPDATE: Looking to find out who won SYTYCD? Was it Jakob, Ellenore, Russell, Kathryn, Ryan or Ashleigh? Click here to find out: Who won SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE?
Can you believe we are here? The last night of competition for SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE? This season started so slowly but since voting began it has flown by. Tomorrow night America’s Favorite Dancer will be crowned, but tonight the Top 6 must first perform one last time for your vote.
The comments are open, so I hope you’ll watch along with me. Welcome to SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE…
Ryan & Kathryn
Samba by Jason Gilkerson
In case you were wondering if Ryan ever works out, let me be the first to tell you that he does. Holy abs! Kathryn has showed us that she can shake it, so nothing surprising there. The routine seemed complicated, but both Ryan and Kathryn rushed through it. At times they didn’t complete their movements. But it was a fun dance to watch, and holy moly how about that last catch?!
The Judges: Well the panel was certainly happy with how the started tonight. Nigel and Mary both gushed. Adam, who is clearly on Team Kathryn, loved his lady tonight.
Ellenore & Jakob
Broadway by Tyce Diorio
Watching with my Mom tonight and she loves her some Jakob Karr. And I must agree with Mom. Give these dynamic twosome, I think they were let down a bit by Tyce tonight. The routine was good, don’t get me wrong, but Ellenore and Jakob are two of the best dancers on the show and they could have done more. Jakob is just phenomenal. This pair is my pick for #1 and #2.
The Judges: Nigel commented on the strength of the dancers. Mary thought there was just a little bit extra that Jakob gave us tonight. Adam though Ellenore has never looked so beautiful. He said Jakob is “one of the most selfless partners”. They clearly liked it.
Ashleigh & Russell
Contemporary by Sonja Tayeh
Welcome back, Ash. This is the first time she and Russell have been paired up and this routine was just gorgeous. There was a moment of hesitation before the final leap, but other than that it was gorgeous. Russell was phenomenal tonight. Just incredible. Good God, Sonja Tayeh is such an artist.
The Judges: Uncle Nigel was one again gushing over Russell. We know, you love him. I can’t blame ya. He pretty much ignored Ashleigh. Mary started with her compliments for Ash, but when she talked about Russell she broke down in tears. Adam wanted to talked about “Ashleigh’s contribution”. Ha – good thing she showed tonight. Russ was “bloody fantastic” but I felt for Ash a bit on that one.
Ellenore & Ryan
Jazz by Gary
Hmm. It’s not often that a dance asks the dancers not to connect emotionally with each other. This robotic dance required an connected partnership but devoid of any emotion. Because of that I couldn’t help but feel a slight disconnection with E & R. It was danced very well but it was a bit uncomfortable to watch.
The Judges: Nigel and I were on the same page with this one in terms of a lack of emotion. Mary was quite thrilled with the performance. Adam praised Ryan once again on his partnership. Doesn’t he ever get any love for his actual dancing?
Ashleigh & Jakob
Fox Trot by Jean Marc Genereaux
Talk about classy. It was great to see this twosome back together tonight. They looked so happy to be dancing together! And I don’t know about you, but I think we haven’t had enough Jean Marc this season. There was a joy in this performance. Everything worked, including that final lift and spin.
The Judges: Nigel started off by praising Ashleigh and the twosome. Mary said Ashleigh dances this style beautifully, and she actually had a tiny bit of criticism for Jakob (what?!). Adam complimented the pair on their teamwork and partnership.
SLOW DOWN! Seriously, a season finale all played out within one hour is just too rushed.
Ellenore & Russell
Paso Doble by Jason Gilkison
I love a good Paso and these two lit the floor on fire tonight. I think Russell was fantastic but I think he could have been a bit stronger. There wasn’t enough of the bullfighter in Russ tonight. Ellenore on the other hand owned the stage on that one. She is just phenomenal. Everything was just perfect.
The Judges: Uh oh, Nigel and I are on the same page tonight. He too thought Russell couldn’t have given it a bit more, but loved Ellenore. Mary and Adam were also loving the twosome. All good things once again for this routine.
Jakob & Kathryn
Contemporary by Desmond Richardson
Just ridiculous. I’m not sure I can say anything right now. That routine was just so beyond. The difficulty was out of control but it was executed with such sophisticated and beauty. It looked effortless. That might have been one of the best routines we’ve ever seen.
The Judges: Nigel just said Kathryn was his favorite lady in the competition. Big words coming the night of voting. And Nigel begged Jakob to join a company because he said he’s going to be an amazing soloist. Both Mary and Adam had tears in their eyes as they spoke their praise. Just amazing.
Ashleigh & Ryan
Contemporary by Travis Wall
Well there is no mistaking the chemistry here. Finally the husband and wife get to dance together. What an amazing experience this must be for them. I would have loved to see them dance Latin, but this routine was beautiful. And how luck to have a Travis routine! I couldn’t help but be drawn into their eyes on this one. The way they looked at each other was just gorgeous. Oh Lord, I’m crying again. Make it stop.
The Judges: As a tearful Mr. and Mrs. DiLello make their way over to cat, I’m going to grab a tissue. Ok. Nigel made a comment about how some people felt the ground-swell of emotion last week and that’s why they are here tonight. Yeah, YOU said that Nigel. Last week after the show to Korbi. Both Mary and Adam spoke about how beautiful it was that they could experience this together. When asked what it was like for them, Ashleigh said “it was perfect.”
Update on today’s GMMR SYTYCD poll: Jakob was your favorite with 55% of the votes, with Russell coming in 2nd with 17%. The top girl was Kathryn with 13%.
…and in the final competitive of the season
Kathryn & Russell
Hip Hop by NappyTabs
Welcome back to the Russell show. He owned this one. And how awesome to have a NappyTabs routine now rooted in a lyrical story. They brought it tonight! Kathryn kept her pace with Russell which seemed damn near possible.
The Judges: Uncle Nigel, Mary and Adam all loved it. The Shankman banged on the table with praise.
BE SURE TO VOTE!!
- Kathryn: 1-888-TEMPO-01
- Ryan: 1-888-TEMPO-02
- Ellenore: 1-888-TEMPO-03
- Jakob: 1-888-TEMPO-04
- Ashleigh: 1-888-TEMPO-05
- Russell: 1-888-TEMPO-06
My heart belong to Jakob, and all my votes are going to him tonight.
Who will get YOUR votes? Who do you want to see win tomorrow night?!
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Wow. They are really knocking it out of the park tonight. I wish we had more than 1 hour. It feels so rushed.
I agree with you RE: Ellenore and Jakob being #2 and #1. Although I think the judges are really pushing for a Russell win.
WOW! Everyone has been great, but Russell is incredible. GO RUSSELL!
I’m really missing all of the behind-the-scenes finale stuff! Boo to Fox for not letting us have 2 hours tonight!
This is way, way, way too rushed. I really don’t think they should have SYTYCD in the fall anymore. The weird scheduling has interfered with connecting with the dancers. I’m ready for Jakob to win and then move on.
Geesh, that sounded really negative. I’m just super annoyed by how rushed this is!
Oh that piece with Kathryn and Jacob was fab!
Kathryn & Jakob is the dream team!
Aimee, I totally agree with you. I hope they move the show back to the summer where they can play it all the way through with no interruptions (World Series) and can be as long as it should be. I also wish they’d get rid of the new stage, but I don’t think that is going to happen.
My #1 guy has always been Jakob, but I think after that routine, Kathryn edged out Ellenore for my #1 girl. I’m devastated. That was amazing!
Love that you guys are watching along!!
Here’s to hoping they make the announcement soon that SYTYCD is going back to summer only.
Ryan and Ashleigh were really wonderful, but, call me cold-hearted, that cheesy emotion during the critiques nearly ruined it for me.
The Jacob/Kathryn routine was it for me. That was amazing. It’s tied with the Ivan/Alison ‘Why’ routine for my favorite. Those two have got my votes for tonight.
I agree SYTYCD should stay a summer show. It’s way way too rushed tonight.
Eh, I wasn’t that into the Russell/Kathryn hip-hop number.
Why couldn’t we get 2 hours for the finale?! It was very rushed. There was a lot of great dancing, but I really missed the all-girls and all-guys numbers that we’ve been able to have in finales past.
I LOVED the Jakob/Kathryn dance. It was crazy difficult and beautiful. Desmond is awesome! I cried during that one and during the Ashleigh/Ryan dance. I too was really caught up in the way that they looked at each other.
As a side note: The weird music during the Ellenore/Ryan dance totally reminded of Ross playing the keyboard on Friends. Does anyone else remember him bragging about “the sound”?
Honestly, the only one who I don’t particularly want to win tomorrow is Ellenore. She came on so strong at the beginning, and others have eclipsed her. Why did they have a 6-man finale, anyway? I don’t want to waste my calls voting for 5 of the 6; I’d have much preferred a traditional 4-man finale next week! Since Season 7 is casting shortly, they must be reverting to the summer season. Phew!
I had to watch on DVR, and I couldn’t believe how rushed it was. I am glad that I am not the only one to think so. I never watch the commercials, but I felt like I needed to – to give myself time to reflect! And all of this for a Gordon Ramsey cook-along special?
I have never been a fan of either DiLello. I do not know if they are just really aware of being on TV, but something there rings false to me (if I had hear one more time about Ashleigh’s illness, I was going to throw popcorn at the TV) . I was really mad about those who went home last week instead of them, and I find it difficult to be unbiased when looking at their performances. So, I am not going to slag their performance other than to say that they should be really, really appreciative that there was a commercial break in between their contemporary piece and the absolute magic that was Jakob and Kathryn. That was one of the best things I have ever seen, amateur or professional.
As to Russell, being able to end the performance finale? In his style? Someone (ahemexecutiveproducerahem) really loves him. For me, he is no Jakob, but it has been a joy to watch him.
Way too rushed and it makes me mad because these are some of the best dancers this show has ever had and they deserve better than that. I really liked Russell and Kathryn’s hip-hop routine. Kathryn I think is the female front runner and I know Jakob is freakin’ amazing but I think Russell is a fan favorite.
(I know that Russell is a krumper and that krumping is different from a partnered hip hop piece, but it is certainly a style that uses a lot of his pre-existing skills)
Jakob deserves the win in my opinion; however, Kathryn and Russell are not far behind. Eleanor is great too, but she is a bit less consistent than the other three mentioned by me. Ashleigh and Ryan are good dancers, so I do not understand why people are so bitter about their rise on the basis of talent and Ashleigh’s injury. After all, it was viewers, and not the dancers who voted. All of the top twenty were talented, and any of them could have won. Therefore, I urge people to be a little less critical of the dancers they don’t like, and spend more time giving praise to those they value. BE POSITIVE and not mean!
GO JAKOB!!!
Jakob and Kathryn have been my favorite and of course when they teamed up together …. their routine was just perfect. Amazing. I’m pulling for Jakob but I’d be happy with Kathryn too.
Sadly I watched on my DVR pasted voting time–so I didn’t get to vote for my favorites! :-/
Although it was rushed, I kind of enjoyed it that way. I did miss the pre-routine videos but I like when the judges keep it short and sweet bc otherwise it can feel like the show goes on for hours and hours and hours. But I understand what you all are talking about, I was shocked when my DVR showed it only recorded an hour. 6 routines in 1 hour? That’s a lot.
Also all in all … I think I prefer just having a summer season. Or maybe just a fall season.
This season seemed really rushed and sloppy … i think they need to tone it down to 1 a year for them to really perfect it and for us to enjoy it properly. It was especially difficult with the world cup and not being able to vote for the first couple of weeks. I also don’t like that they did a 6 person finale—that is A LOT of people, it’s hard to narrow it down to 1 from 6.
2 seasons back to back = not good. Am I the only one who thinks so?
Kathryn and Jakob got my votes. He deserves to win, but she’s my #2. I just adore watching her dance.
I think this season could have been better if it wasn’t so rushed. There are some amazing dancers in this group.
I also wonder if they continue doing two shows per year, if they would start to dilute the talent pool.
Jakob is incredible, and I hope he wins. That said, I didn’t think the judges were very professional last night. I think it would be fine for them to openly say which dancer they think is the best, but not fine for them to ignore the ones they don’t want. The Travis Wall number that Ashleigh and Ryan did was beautifully danced, but none of them critiqued it or gave them any credit. Nigel made cheesy jokes and suggested that “emotion” put them in the finale, and the other 2 basically said they were lucky to have a chance to dance together. Mary might have said more if Cat hadn’t cut her off. Ryan also got almost no credit for his other routines. His samba was at least as good as Katherine’s, but she got all the praise.
Sonya Tayeh’s work is always amazing, including last night, but she didn’t give Ashleigh much to do. Of course, all eyes were on Russell (as the judges mentioned), because the whole routine was built around him. I don’t know when I’ve seen a routine on SYTYCD before that was so one-sided. Jakob is the best dancer in the competition, but all of the dancers should have a chance to show their skills.
Everyone is quick to say that Russell was able to end the night in his style but Ryan also started the night in his style. Kathryn and Jakob danced a contemporary piece in their style. Ellenore got to do some robot dancing which clearly lent itself to her style. The only person that really got the short end of the stick was Ashleigh because she had nothing even close to latin.
I too felt like this season was super rushed. We only had 4 or 5 group numbers total. It didn’t feel like the partners were as close to each other as in previous seasons, either. The World Series may have completely changed the outcome of the season. I would have imagined that Bianca would have gone farther if the judges hadn’t been able to oust her early. I hope that this show goes back to the summer where I can savor it amongst other summer shill.
These were the strongest performances I have seen all season, and it’s a shame it was so rushed in a one-hour show. Like someone else said, for a Gordon Ramsey cookoff show? Really?
Jacob & Katherine ended up being my favorites too and both got my votes!
I agree with everyone who said the show was rushed and it certainly should have been two hours. I also agree that the judges were not professional at times during the finale in regards to Ashley & Ryan, or maybe it just came off that way because there was such little time.
By the way, I want to commend the commenters on this site, as well as Kath, for always (that I have seen) being *nice* when commenting and not attacking other posters. This is rare – most sites that allow commenting that I read can be just vicious to each other!