#SYTYCD season 14

[theswampghost]

just rewatched some old sytycd and am blown away by the sheer amount of dancing we used to be blessed with. compare the top ten of season 14 to season 18—in season 14, we got an opening number, a guest number, 10 duets, and 10 solos for a total of TWENTY TWO DANCES in an episode. in season 18, we got an opening number, 2 group dances, and 3 solos for a total of six dances in an episode. that is almost a 200% DECREASE in the amount of dancing on the DANCING SHOW. i fucking hate it here

[tallmantall]

#JamesDonaldson On #MentalHealth -  What Happens When Happy People Die By #Suicide

Perhaps the most controversial ‘final’ act of life, any life, should always start conversations around #mentalhealth. And it is, perhaps, the unlikelier cases of #suicide that should ring louder warning bells for society at large Nusmila Lohani One of the most active and happy #Instagram profiles is, perhaps, #tWitch's.  His face is a familiar one, one that carved out a space in the entertainment industry in #America at least 14 years ago when he auditioned in So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD). It's a televised #American dance competition, where participants dance through cutthroat stages of the competition to reach the finals or make the top 10 list. From that list, many have moved on in their careers to bigger things, expanding the limelight that the reality TV show accumulated for them.  #tWitch was one of them.  I primarily follow #tWitch on #Instagram where he has over 4 million followers. On the #socialmedia platform, between paid partnerships, business ventures and collaborations with other dancers along with features of his co-founded dance studio, #tWitch seemed to have been doing great with his wife (who was an SYTYCD 2nd season contestant) and three beautiful #children.  His name was not just well-known in America's dancers' community, but a popular one even in some circles of A-list Hollywood celebrities.  On 13 December 2022, Stephen Laurel "tWitch" Boss died by #suicide, having recently celebrated his 40th birthday and nine years married to his wife. According to the LA County Medical Examiner, there was "no foul play" and reportedly there is a #suicide note left behind by #tWitch, the content of which has not been revealed to the media.  When the news broke, it first took me back to 2008.  I was rooting for #tWitch to win the SYTYCD 4th season that used to air on AXN, mostly because I enjoyed replicating some of his easier dance moves. #tWitch – the Alabama native on the Los Angeles SYTYCD stage – brought a lot of joy to me, the closet dancer in Dhaka who would fight over the TV remote with her older sister.  #tWitch came second place, breaking my teenage heart. And eventually, I stopped watching the show thus relinquishing my 'avid' SYTYCD TV audience status.  But #tWitch rose.  He went on to star in movies and in a short time, started to work as the resident DJ on The #EllenDegeneresShow. Reportedly, he also became a co-executive producer on the show in 2020, the same year when Ellen Degeneres faced intense backlash over a toxic work environment spanning #racial discrimination and #sexualharassment allegations.  #tWitch maintained his support for Degeneres, and said "We can't speak too much legally about it, but I'll say this, there's been love," in an interview later on.      When the news of #tWitch's #suicide broke, it took me back to his #Instagram profile next.  I stand corrected, it is one of the most active and happy feeds. I drowned myself in tributes that #Instagram users paid to #tWitch. Many are from celebrities and blue tick account holders. The ones who knew him kept saying, he was the "light" in the room and the life and joy of the party.  I understand how #socialmedia profiles seldom mirror a person's state of mind, let alone offer the real-life picture of public figures. But with this case, something else tugged at me, how a 'happy,' young (yes, 40 is young) public figure, who seemingly had a good life, died by #suicide.  And this took me to 2014.  #RobinWilliams -  in my opinion, not just the greatest comedian but also one of the greatest actors - died by #suicide at the age of 63. This shook the world, causing ripples of disbelief and shock beyond borders. More so because of the happy and joyful persona that defined his illustrious career.  Williams was misdiagnosed with Parkinson's disease before his death, according to his wife, who went on to learn of Lewy body #dementia with which the actor was diagnosed following an autopsy on his brain, reported #CNN.  What can we learn from unlikely cases of #suicide  The objective is not to limit the category of unlikely cases to those who are wealthy because that logic is primitive in thinking that wealth and/or fame, by default, can resolve #mentalhealthissues. But to broaden our perspective and dismantle our internalized typecasting of "likely" cases of #suicide. For one, seemingly happy people may be suffering from #suicidalideation. And for those who are already dealing with #suicidalideation, death by #suicide of seemingly happy public figures may work as a trigger.    Frankly, we know little to nothing about a person's state of mind or their cognitive dissonance. This 'person' can be our colleagues, friends and family members. And the more we continue to avoid, demean, mock or discourage discourse on #mentalhealth, the more we continue to walk on the same path that leads to preventable final acts.    #James Donaldson notes:Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticleOrder your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,#CelebratingYourGiftofLife:From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy www.celebratingyourgiftoflife.com Suicides have claimed nearly double the number of Bangladesh lives in 2020, compared to the deaths from #Covid-19. Nearly half of the suicides were from young #adults, with 35% in the age range of five to 19 years. In fact, as many as 364 students in the country's education institutions committed #suicide from January to August of this year, according to a survey by the Aachol Foundation.  Earlier this year, speaking to TBS on the uptick in suicides among students, Tawhida Shiropa, Founder and CEO of Moner Bondhu said "More than their socio-economic state of affairs, the lack of sympathy and empathy had led them to take such a decision. I believe a little touch of empathy could have changed their whole trajectory for a few of them." This probably does not need to mean that we, individually, carry the responsibility to save people from dying by #suicide. Rather, we should strive to collectively build a support system and environment that essentially welcomes dialogue on #mentalhealth.  What we now have is a wall blocking discourse on #mentalhealth at every level, be it the dinner table conversations that still remain outdated because older generations refuse to understand what therapy is or the existence of #mentalhealth.  Or we have educational institutions, corporate worlds and industries that remain determined to focus with a hyperbolic intensity on advancements and progress reports than the #mentalhealth of its people. It's almost like the #Covid-19 #pandemic never happened nor did its incredible toll on human lives.  #RobinWilliams once said, "Comedy can be a cathartic way to deal with personal #trauma." And tWitch once said "As dancers, especially for myself, personally, dance constitutes a lot of the conversation that I have. While I'm not a ridiculous wordsmith and I can't clearly verbalize the things that I'm feeling sometimes, I'd say that I can emote how I feel by dancing, 100% of the time, and fearlessly at that." The common thread, albeit a little stretched, is curious. They both spoke of expressing themselves through their art.   This year will end in a few days. Many of us must be mulling over our year's personal progress report. This could be an opportune time to spare a moment on how we perceive #mentalhealth, both at an individual level and at a collective level. We could also consider seeing #mentalhealth in two-fold: How we can assist those who are silently, or otherwise, suffering. And how we can learn, for ourselves, to ask for help when we need to.   This is a tall order, granted. But the most simple step forward could be to be kind to each other and become open to having conversations about #mentalhealth. By doing just this, perhaps, in the new year, we will collectively step on the same page in the 21st century on understanding #suicidalideations and create environments that start a discourse on #mentalhealth.  Otherwise, we will continue to have people, some of great talent, resorting to expressing themselves through their works of art, or other channels. And then seek refuge in their last resort, which the world will not hesitate to call their most controversial and selfish 'final' act. Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com Read the full article

[sytycdrankings]

#1. “You’re the Last Thing on My Mind” (Marko/Koine contemporary), Mandy Korpinen and Elizabeth Petrin

Gonna be honest, when I saw that these were new choreographers and I heard the concept, I thought this was going to be really awkward. This show really broke my trust with brand new choreographers after that whole sexy fish fiasco. Thankfully, this was nothing like that and I hope we see Mandy and Elizabeth back if they have more to offer like this!

This is definitely the most memorable contemporary routine of the season. For once, the props weren’t super distracting and instead added a really cool layer to everything and created some beautiful pictures, like when Marko held Koine up by the waist and her legs were outstretched, and when they both held on to the hanger and swung around. There were a few parts where I was scared Koine would smack her face against the bar up there, and I feel like Marko caught her super late when she went flying off the bar and landed in front of him, but maybe it was supposed to look scary or something lol. 

And do I really have to mention their chemistry? They always look like they’ve been dancing together for years and years, even in the quiet moments when all they do is look at each other. This was just really gorgeous and I loved everything about it and Koine is everything.

(But who leaves lingerie with their ex-boyfriend? Like of all things to accidentally leave behind in the closet? It’s usually like an old t-shirt or a pair of jeans she never wore anyway lmao.) 

[jennlovesrob]

I adore these two and their partnership! The love, admiration, & respect they have for each other makes me so happy!

[kelis-robinson]

ready for live show 4!!

[triss19]

Logan and Allison Hip Hop (SYTYCD) I’ve watched this dance at least 20 times. Hits me right in the fuzziest part of my soul.

[sytycd-geek]

Catching up!

I haven’t had time to watch this week’s episode until tonight. Just started and I AM LITERALLY HAPPY CRYING BECAUSE WADE IS BACK!!!! SOMEONE FREAK OUT WITH ME CUZ NO ONE ON FACEBOOK UNDERSTANDS!!!!

Mary is back on the judges panel and Wade is back as a choreographer!!! Just invite Lil’C on to pontificate for a while and literally all of my dreams will have come true. WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE!!!!

[caribbeangaymer]

Top 4 & All-Stars Performance | Season 14 Ep. 14 | SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE

[koineiwasaki]

CONFUSED AND EXCITED

[gabydiazstan]

there’s been ONE good season of sytycd since s12... i KNOW the show should’ve been cancelled by now... but here we are... we really setting ourselves up for disappointment for s16

[onwardintolight]

One more thought about this season of SYTYCD:

I know a lot of people didn’t like this season because there were only 10 dancers instead of 20, and because of the all-stars taking up so much screen-time, but honestly, I loved it, the more so as the season went on. I understand that from a viewing perspective it may not be as interesting, but being a dancer myself, it was so wonderful to see each contestant having their own mentor to encourage and support them and help them grow. Watching the all-stars pour so much into these dancers, and watching the contestants grow accordingly, was so beautiful. If I were on a show like that, that would be the way I’d want to do it. What an incredible experience all of them must have had. Those are the kind of bonds, and the kind of lessons, that last a lifetime. Great job SYTYCD!

[sytycdrankings]

1. Danca Molengo (Koine/Kiki salsa), Val Chmerkovskiy

Yeah. I really have a Kiki routine at #1. I’m fully convinced that he could be a legit contestant if only he was allowed. I have nothing in the world against Kiki, I just want him to DANCE. See what happens when he’s able?? 

Technically, this is not his style. Not that salsa is going to be super difficult for someone who is trained in Latin dance, but it’s actually a different technique, like Mary somewhat explained. This is why salsa dancers are never considered ballroom dancers when they come on the show. (All 3 that have existed in 14 seasons.) I wasn’t expecting him to be so loose and playful, and it worked! BUT KOINE.

Ms. I’ve-Never-Done-Ballroom. Is she sure?? She looks like she’s been doing salsa all her damn life! It didn’t even look like she struggled! I’m so glad she got ballroom with Kiki and not Marko because there’s no way Marko would have been able to keep up with Her Majesty over here. Koine deserves to win. I’m so scared she’ll go home before her time, but I’m saying it right now, she deserves to win. She’s the only contestant who has been consistant in every style so far. 

So I don’t know what happened, but this is probably one of my favorite routines of the whole season so far. Definitely one of the best salsas ever on the show. 

[jennlovesrob]

Here's the official photo for team Taylor and Robert! What a great shot!

[triss19]

Uhm excuse me, but Logan Hernandez should have made it to the finale of So You Think You Can Dance. 

What the fuck. I’m pissed. 

[sytycd-geek]

Recap of Top 9!

Top 9 & All Stars Group Number: Hip Hop, choreographed by Luther Brown. Gonna try my hardest to ignore the cultural appropriation and say that the dancing was awesome. (But seriously Luther Brown, why???)

I’m not gonna talk about solos unless I have something important to say, cuz I never seem to feel strongly about them.

Logan & Allison: Jive, choreographed by Emma Slater and Sasha Farber. This would have been better if it had been a lindy hop number. They incorporated A TON of lindy and if they hadn’t switched back to jive all the time they could have had way more fun with it. But I am totally biased cuz I know and love lindy hop so damn much. That said, this was goddamn adorable and is def going to be added to my list of favorite jives. That moment when Logan kisses her cheek and Allison just looses it was so freaking adorable, I can’t!

 Koine & Marko: Hip Hop, choreographed by Dave Scott. Koine fucking owned this number. Dave Scott gave her a hell of a part to play. That moment where she rips the tiara off was awesome. I really liked this number. For a contemporary dancer Koine did really well, I think the only ladies who could have done better are Comfort or Jasmine.

Dassy & Fik-Shun: Jazz, choreographed by Ray Leeper. My only complaint about this number is it feels too close to hip hop and I was hoping to see them pushed a little bit more. But this routine was awesome and just pure fun. These two are too cute.

Mark & Comfort: Contemporary, choreographed by Talia Favia. I feel like the main benefit to the weird all star format this season is seeing how fucking much Comfort has grown since her season. Damn. This was super beautiful. One of my favorites of the night for sure. They both brought beautiful movement and emotion to this.

All-Star Group Number: Contemporary, choreographed by Travis Wall. Okay, other folks have talked far better than I could about why this routine didn’t sit well with some. While I thought this routine was beautifully choreographed, it’s easy for me to say being I am white woman steeped in privilege. I’m seeing a lot of awesome and respectful discussion around our SYTYCD community which is great. My feelings basically boil down to: I love Travis, I think he choreographed a beautiful piece but this topic should have been handled by black artists and it’s not like there aren’t a ton that they could have called on.

Lex & Gaby: Broadway, choreographed by Warren Carlyle. Another Broadway that I just freaking loved. I thought Lex was freaking adorable although I don’t feel like he was showcased as much as Gaby during this number. But they both killed it.

Quote of the night: Nigel: “What’s a patootie?” Mary: “A PATOOTIE! It’s your whole body and a little bit of booty. A PATOOTIE!”

Sydney & Paul: Hip Hop, choreographed by Luther Brown. I actually thought this routine was really good! I don’t understand why they judges tore it apart. I mean neither of them were as good as actual hip hop dancers would have been but they brought it. (Way fucking harder than Kiki did last week. Just saying.) They said it was too cute, but this was more of a fun routine. It fit!

Top 9 Group Routine: Jazz/Broadway, choreographed by Chris Baldock. I liked this number, not sure it was super memorable. But it was fun.

Kaylee & Cyrus: Jazz, choreographed by Spencer Liff. Welp, I officially like Spencer more as jazz choreographer than a Broadway choreographed. I freaking loved this number. I agree that Kaylee outshone Cyrus and that was fine. She owned this thing. Also, the pre-routine video was so cute.

Okay, Mark choose “I See Fire” as his solo song. Also, he freaked when he was compared to Rufio. This boy is winning over my little nerdy heart real fast.

Taylor & Robert: Samba, choreographed by Jean-Marn Genereux. GODDAMMIT JEAN-MARC I FUCKING LOVE YOU. GIVE THIS MAN HIS OWN TV SHOW ALREADY. For two contemporary dancers this was fine. This was a really difficult Samba and I think they did the best they could. I didn’t hate it, we’ve just seen better Sambas.

Kiki & Jenna: Contemporary, choreographed by Mandy Moore. This routine was really sweet. I probably would have loved it if the judges hadn’t freaked out over Kiki yet again. What are they seeing that I am not? The entire time watching this routine I was thinking, “Oh, Kiki. You are the most ballroom boy that has ever been on this show.” The way he was moving, he could not get rid of the ballroom even a little bit. He needs to loosen up so BADLY. He was a great partner and he definitely brought the emotion but other than that I just don’t think he did much. Also, Mary? “That’s the best I’ve ever seen a ballroom boy do contemporary.”??? EXCUSE YOU. Mary, I love you with my whole entire heart but NO. WRONG.

I don’t understand how Dassy and Mark are in the bottom. I didn’t want Sydney to go home but of the three, I’m relieved it was her. Honestly, I really like the entire Top 10 so I haven’t wanted anyone to go home. Except now I kinda want Kiki to go home just so he can stop getting unnecessarily praised. I like him and I’d be enjoying his journey so much more if he were getting critiqued fairly.