Benji Schwimmer Wins "So You Think You Can Dance Season 2" Competition

The second season of So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD) premiered in the United States on May 12 2006 with a new host Cat Deely replacing Lauren Sanchez of Season 1. Auditions for season 2 were held in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Charleston. One hundred and sixteen contestants were selected for a week of training at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas. The group were shortlisted down to 41 from which 20 were chosen for the Top 20. The Top 20 were:-

Guys - Benji Schwimmer, Travis Wall, Ivan Koumaev, Ryan Rankine, Dmitry Chaplin, Musa Cooper, Jaymz Tuaileva, Ben Susak, Jason Williams, Stanislav Savich

Girls - Donyelle Jones, Heidi Groskreutz, Natalie Fotopoulos, Allison Holker, Martha Nicols, Ashlee Nino, Jessica Fernandez, Aleksandra Wojda, Joy Spears, Erin Ellis

A very good and varied style of dances were performed in So You Think You Can Dance USA Season 2. All the Ballroom and Latin American dances were showcased. American Swing dances: the Lindy Hop and West Coast Swing were introduced this season. The other genres of dance performed included Hip Hop, Contemporary, Jazz, Broadway, Salsa and Disco. All in all, it was a fantastic mix of the various styles of dance and the dancers were entertaining and a delight to watch.

After a series of elimination rounds, the Top 4 were chosen for the Grand Finals which was aired on August 16 2006. The Top 4 were Benji Schwimmer, Travis Wall, Donyelle Jones and Heidi Groskreutz. The eventual winner of SYTYCD USA Season 2 was Benji Schwimmer who received a cash prize of US$100,000, a new hybrid SUV and a one year contract with Celine Dion's Las Vegas Show "A New Day..." Benji once worked as a missionary in Mexico and was a former US Swing dance champion. He and his cousin Heidi Groskreutz were the winners in the Showcase Division of the 2005 US Swing Dance Open Championships.

Related Post

> So You Think You Can Dance Malaysia 2 - Post Mortem

Wade Robson Conducts Dance Workshop In Malaysia

Wade Robson, the celebrated dance choreographer of So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD) USA was in Malaysia last month to conduct a workshop for 80 privileged dancers who had the rare opportunity to train under a world renowned performer. The 25 year old Australian-born, 2-times Emmy Award winner who choreographed Britney Spear's 1999 World Tour at the young age of 16, conducted the exclusive two-day workshop on October 18 and 19 at Celebrity Fitness Studio in 1 Utama Shopping Centre, Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya.

Among the participants at the meet were previous contestants from the SYTYCD Malaysia Seasons 1 and 2 - Alam (champion season 1), Cecilia Yong (champion season 2), Dennis Yin, Jorida Lim, Vivian Chan, Farah Hanan and SYTYCD Malaysia choreographer Boojay of Floor Fever. At the workshop, Wade demonstrated dance routines taken from his latest work in the Cirque Du Soleil/Criss Angel Believe stage show. Wade also obligingly danced his own Sexyback routine choreographed to Timberlake's song together with the Floor Fever dance crew.

Wade Jeremy Williams Robson was born on September 17 1982 in Brisbane, Australia. He began performing as a professional dancer at the tender age of 5 and was a back-up dancer for Michael Jackson during Michael Jackson's Bad Tour of Australia in 1987. Wade and his family moved to the United States when he was nine years old to pursue his career in the entertainment industry. Before he turned 10, Wade had danced and acted in Michael Jackson's music videos (Black Or White, Jam, and Heal The World), numerous commercials, films and TV shows.

In 2007, Wade won an Emmy for a routine called Ramalama which he choreographed for SYTYCD. In the same year he choreographed and danced in a special performance of Dancing With The Stars which turned out to be one of the season's highest rated episodes. Wade will also be choreographing and producing Britney Spear's World Tour 2009 which is slated to begin in March next year. "The tour will be nothing like you've ever seen from Britney in the past seven years. It will be pretty crazy, wild, different, kind of sexy and elegant" Wade enthused.

Warmest Regards,

Dance Aficionado
Dancesport Malaysia

So You Think You Can Dance Malaysia 2 - Review

The Grand Finals of So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD) Malaysia Season 2 was held on August 1 2008 in Kuala Lumpur. The title of "Malaysia's Favourite Dancer" was won by C C (real name, Yong Ling Shi). Nicknamed "Sizzling C C" by her friends, she more than cooked up a storm when she was announced the winner! There was a barrage of comments regarding her victory on the internet soon after the show. Many were of the opinion that she did not deserve to win and that any one of the other 3 competitors namely Black, Sim or Hong were more worthy contenders for the crown.

SYTYCD Malaysia is a spinoff version of the American SYTYCD television reality show and which was a big hit there in America. The preliminaries for SYTYCD Malaysia Season 2 started in May 2008 with auditions in Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. More than 1000 hopefuls attended the auditions, and eventually 20 (10 guys and 10 girls) were selected by the panel of judges comprising of Ramli Ibrahim, Pat Ibrahim and Judimar Hernandez to compete in the the Top 20 finals.

During each episode starting from the Top 20, the competitors had to dance with a partner, and two (one guy and one girl) of the weakest or least popular dancers were eliminated until the Top 4 were chosen for the Grand Finals. The competitors got to dance with their same partners and had to change partners twice during the competition; once when they were in the Top 10, and during the Grand Finals. In the Grand Finals, both the guys also had to dance with each other and likewise for the girls. All the grand finalists were also required to perform a group dance as well as dance solo.

The dances that were performed this season included hip hop, contemporary, jazz, broadway, salsa, mambo, conga, rock 'n' roll and argentine tango. The ballroom dances selected were the waltz and the Viennese waltz whilst for the latin they were the cha cha cha, samba and paso doble. Many of the performances were actually a fusion of two different genres as for example the Viennese waltz would be danced together with a contemporary number and which sometimes posed a problem for the dancers. I was disappointed that bubbly and energetic dances like the quickstep and jive were not performed by the competitors here unlike in SYTYCD America where these dances are such a joy to watch.

During each episode, the competitors were judged by a permanent panel of judges consisting of the threesome of Ramli, Pat and Judimar. A guest judge was also invited to sit in during each episode. Among the guest judges invited were well known choreographers like Yannus Sufandi and Manuela Oliviera. One excitable guest judge, Aida Redza brought much excitement during one episode with her unbridled enthusiasm and exuberance. Of all the judges, I find Ramli Ibrahim to be the most objective, candid and professional in his critique of the dancers and their performances. Trained in ballet, contemporary and Indian classical dances, Ramli is renowned for his Odissi and Bharata Natyam performances.

Ramli had a way with words and could use poetic language to describe the dancers and their performances. In one episode he remarked that the dancer captured the moment and in another, he compared one dancer to the late Hong Kong diva Anita Mui! Not one to mince his words, he could be very frank and call a spade a spade. In one episode, he called the performance of the Viennese waltz "a total flop". During the auditions, one dancer fumbled on stage and was struggling with her dance. When asked by Ramli what her problem was, she replied that she had trouble memorizing her dance steps. Ramli retorted by saying that "Dancing is not to be memorized, it is to be done!" His sermon was so philosophical; almost Zen-like. Ramli certainly knew the Tao of Dancing!

Season 2 of So You Think You Can Dance Malaysia has finally come to an end. Let us pray that the next season of So You Think You Can Dance Malaysia will be more entertaining with more exciting genres of dances instead of the usual hip hop and contemporary. I also hope that Ramli Ibrahim will once again be in the panel of judges next year. In the meantime it is my fervent wish that 8TV will broadcast the latest season of So You Think You Can Dance America. I am becoming addicted to this television dance reality show!

Best Wishes As Always,

Dance Aficionado

So You Think You Can Dance Malaysia 2 - Grand Finals

The Grand Finals of the So You Think You Can Dance Malaysia 2 which was held on Friday August 1 2008 at Ruums Bar & Club Kuala Lumpur started at 8.30 pm with a dance performance by the Top 20. Singer Zainal Abidin next gave a rendition of his hit song Senang Senang. After he had finished his performance, the Top 4 finalists stepped onto the dance floor to the applause of the crowd. The 4 top finalists were Ng Kar Fei (Black) 25, Ong Tze Hong (Hong) 27, Hoi Cheng Sim (Sim) 27 and Yong Ling Shi (C C) 21.

Looking immaculate in a white pantsuit, the lovely host Aishah Sinclair then cooly walked onto the dance floor to welcome the audience and introduce the panel of judges. They are the indefatigable trio of Pat Ibrahim, Ramli Ibrahim and Judimar Hernandez, all of whom are renowned dancers and choreographers in Malaysia. Aishah then announced that tonight one of the Top 4 dancers will be crowned "Malaysia's Favourite Dancer" and walk home with a cash prize of RM50,000 and a scholarship from 8TV. It was then time for the battle royale to begin.

In this finals, the format was changed. The competitors had to perform 4 dances over 4 rounds. In the first round Sim and CC had to partner each other to perform a Contemporary/Jazz piece whilst Black and Hong had to dance a Contemporary/Cha Cha Cha number together. In the second round the competitors had to switch partners, with Hong and Sim first executing a Contemporary/Hip Hop fusion followed by Black and CC dancing a Contemporary/Street Jazz mix. In the third round all the dancers performed a contemporary Malay dance. In the fourth and final round, the dancers had to dance solo. The dances they had to perform were:-

1) Hong - Hip Hop

2) C C - Samba

3) Black - Hip Hop

4) Sim - Contemporary

Whilst waiting for the sms votes to come in, the Top 20 gave another excellent Hip Hop dance performance. After their performance, it was time for host Aishah to announce the winners. Before announcing the winners Aishah asked the judges who they thought would be the winner. Pat picked C C, Judimar selected Hong and Ramli chose Sim. Ramli felt that Sim was the best dancer as she was able to bring out the physical and the emotional aspects of the dances the most. Sim was also the only dancer to have sailed through to each round without ever being placed in the Bottom 4 or 6.

The winner of the title of "Malaysia's Favourite Dancer" was C C. Personally I thought that Sim was the best dancer that night and deserved to win but this is the reality in a dance reality show like SYTYCD. After all the title is "Malaysia's Favourite Dancer" and not "Malaysia's Best Dancer" and this is the reality we have to accept. With that the So You Think You Can Dance Malaysia competition, Season 2 came to a close.

Warmest Regards,

Dance Aficionado

So You Think You Can Dance Malaysia 2 - Top 6

July 24 2008

The So You Think You Can Dance competition started on cue at at 9.30 pm at the Ruums Bar & Club, Kuala Lumpur. After the Top 6 finalists had performed the opening dance, the ever bubbly host Aishah Sinclair stepped on to the dance floor to welcome the audience and introduce the judges. Wearing a lovely black dress (black seems to be her favourite colour) Aishah introduced the panel of judges. They were the usual trio of Pat Ibrahim, Judimar Hernandez and Ramli Ibrahim. The guest judge was the renowned dancer, performer and choreographer Aida Redza.

It was then time for the competitors to battle it out on the dance floor. In this episode all the dancers had to do a partner dance in the first round and then perform a solo in the Dance For Survival in the second round.

The names of the couples and the dances they had to perform in the first round were:-

1) Sly & Jojo - Disco Mambo

2) Black & Sim - Argentine Tango

3) Hong & CC - Samba

The dances were well choreographed and all the couples performed commendably. It was really difficult for me to pick the best couple this time.

It was only in the second round that the competitors were able to break away from the constraints of partner dancing to really express themselves. The dances that the competitors had to dance were as follows:-

1) Sly - Hip Hop

2) Hong - Contemporary

3) Black - Hip Hop

4) Jojo - Contemporary

5) CC - Conga

6) Sim - Contemporary

Black was in his elements and shone in the dance that he loves and does best - the Hip Hop. He redeemed himself from his not-too-good performance in the Hip Hop in the previous episode. Dancing to the tune of Sweet Young Thing by Michael Jackson he did some great moves. Wearing a fedora and a white glove ala Wacko Jacko he gave his best performance so far. Unfortunately he did not do a Moon Walk . I would love to see him do a Moon Walk at the Grand Finals next week and hopefully walk away with the prize money of fifty grand Malaysian Ringgit. Ramli remarked that he captured the moment. Aida was so excited that she was lost for words!

Sim also gave a commendable performance and executed some beautiful leaps in the contemporary dance. She is the only dancer in this SYTYCD competition not to have fallen into the Bottom 4 or Bottom 6 during each episode. CC and Hong did pretty well as did Sly who is nifty in Hip Hop. The weakest was Jojo and it does not help that she does not smile much. In dancing it is as much as dancing the steps as it is in expressing the joy of dancing in your moves and facial expressions.

While waiting for the sms vote to come in, the male dancers did a Malay Contemporary dance whilst the girls did a Hip Hop to entertain the crowd. The Top 4 finalists chosen were Black, Hong, Sim and CC. They will be competing in the Grand Finals which will be held on Friday, August 1 at 8.30 pm at the same venue.

The Top 4 finalists of So You Think You Can Dance Malaysia 2 will be meeting their fans at Sg Wang Plaza, Kuala Lumpur on July 29 from 2-4 pm. Be sure to catch them there.

Best Wishes,
Dance Aficionado

So You Think You Can Dance Malaysia 2- Top 8

July 17, 2008

The impatient crowd at Ruums Bar & Club, Kuala Lumpur broke into applause when host Aishah Sinclair stepped onto the dance floor to commence the show. Using shawls and walking sticks as props, the Top 8 competitors did a Middle Eastern contemporary opening dance with shimmies and all, much to the delight of the audience. After being introduced by Aishah it was time for the judges to be introduced. They are as Aishah puts it, renowned choreographer and creative director Pat Ibrahim, "the lady with many adjectives" Judimar Hernandez and "the purveyor of contemporary and classical arts" Ramli Ibrahim. The guest judge was Marion D' Cruz; dancer, choreographer and executive producer of the Five Arts Centre.

It was then the dancers' turn to battle it out on the dance floor. As with the previous episode, the couples had to perform 2 dances over 2 rounds. The names of the couples and the dances they had to perform were:-

1) Sly & Jojo - Hip Hop/Middle Eastern & Paso Doble/Flamenco

2) Ray & Farah - Hip Hop & Malaysian Contemporary

3) Hong & Cecilia - Hip Hop/Viennese Waltz & Hip Hop

4) Black & Sim - Latin American Fusion & Hip Hop

Black and Sim brought the house down with their awesome display of energy and pizzazz in their first dance, the Latin American fusion. They did a slick interpretation of the cha cha cha, samba, mambo and salsa in their dance moves. Black started the dance by doing a split in mid-air.Looking like a vamp, Sim really shone with her dazzling moves and is the dancer to watch in this competition. She is versatile and it showed in the way she performed this dance routine even though Latin American is not her forte.

The judges were floored by their performance. Ramli said their dance was fantastic and electrifying and that he felt the temperature in the room go up by 10 degrees! He even compared Sim to the late Hong Kong diva, Anita Mui! The other judges were also lavish in their praises. Judimar exclaimed "what a pair" and that she could feel the fuego (Spanish for fire) on the dance floor..

However their performance in their second dance routine, the Hip Hop was a bit of a let down considering that Hip Hop is Black's cup of tea. In this dance both dancers donned red track suits and wore masks. The attire looked awful compared to what they wore in their earlier round. The dance was slow paced and Black seemed languid; not his usual exuberant self. This is the first time that masks have been worn in this competition. In a dance competition like this, masks should not be worn as we are unable to see the facial expressions and the dancers are not able to express the joy of dancing in their facial expressions.

The guest judge Marion commented that it is difficult to perform dances wearing masks and Ramli said that Black looked tired, considering his explosive performance earlier.Pat said that the couple did not give their all when performing this dance.Let us hope that masks will not be used in dance routines in future episodes or ever in this competition.

One couple who did pretty well in this episode is couple number 3, Hong & Cecilia (Cc). Last week both of them were in the Bottom 6. This week both are in the Top 4! In their first dance routine, they gave a credible performance in the Hip Hop but when it came to dancing the Viennese Waltz both were off-timing and struggling to do their steps. They however redeemed themselves and gave a polished performance in the second dance routine which was again a Hip Hop.Towards the end of the dance, they showed their prowess by executing a spiral turn beautifully. They get my vote for the Best Couple in the second round.

After all the couples had performed their dances it was time for the judges to pick the Bottom 4. They were Jojo, Ray, Farah and Black. Ray and Farah did not make it to the Top 6. The dancers of So You Think You Can Dance will be meeting their fans at the Seremban Parade in Seremban this Saturday, July 19 from 2-4 pm. Be sure to catch them there to give your support.

Best Wishes,

Dance Aficionado
Dancesport Malaysia

So You Think You Can Dance Malaysia 2- Top 10

10th July 2008

With the cry of "Malaysia, give it up for your Top 10", host Aishah Sinclair stepped on to the dance floor of Ruums Bar & Club, Kuala Lumpur to start the show and usher in the dancers. Looking gorgeous in jeans, black shimmering blouse , dark jacket and a new hairstyle to match, Aishah next introduced the panel of judges to the audience. They were the usual team of Pat Ibrahim, Judimar Hernandez and Ramli Ibrahim. The guest judge this time was the lovely actress and dancer, Datin Seri Tiara Jacquelina.

It was then time for the dance couples to show off their stuff. In this round, the 5 couples who are partnering each other for the first time had to perform one dance and then come back again to perform another dance. The names of the couples and the dances they had to perform were:-

1) Raymond & Jorida - Mambo, Pop Rock

2) Sly & Jojo - Hip Hop, Lyrical Waltz

3) Ray & Farah - Salsa, Contemporary

4) Black & Sim - Contemporary, Hip Hop

5) Hong & Cecilia - Contemporary Pop, Rock n' Roll

Black & Sim stole the show and took the judges' breath away. In their first dance which was a contemporary number (with middle eastern influences) they were in their elements and Sim did some sexy shimmies like an exotic belly dancer. Very sensuous indeed. Not to be outshone, Black gave an electrifying performance in the second dance, the Hip Hop. Both their dances were artistic and entertaining and both danced like champions!

The Judges were grinning from ear to ear and bestowed accolades on their performance. Some of the the superlatives heaped on them were "most wonderful performance of the night", "best couple", "best dancers", "the couple to beat", "perfecto".

After the competitors had performed their dances, it was time for the judges to pick the Bottom 6. They were Cecilia, Hong, Ray, Jojo, Jorida and Raymond. It was then time for them to do their Dance For Survival and garner sms votes. While waiting for the sms votes to come in, singer Nita went on to the floor to give a rendition of the song Objection. The ever obliging Pat Ibrahim stepped on to the dance floor and did a dance with Nita while she was singing.

In future episodes, it would be a great idea if we could get the judges like Judimar to do a salsa or Ramli to do a Malay contemporary or Indian classical dance while waiting for the sms votes to come in. I am sure the audience (including yours truly) would love to see them dance and certain that the ratings of 8TV (http://www.8tv.com.my/) would skyrocket!

The 2 competitors who did not make it to the Top 8 were Raymond and Jorida. While they did pretty well in their second dance, the Pop Rock, it was their not-so-good performance in the first dance, the Mambo which let them down.

The Top 8 of So You Think You Can Dance will be meeting their fans in Mahkota Parade, Melaka this Saturday, 12th July from 2 - 4 p.m. Be sure to catch them there and read the very interesting commentary of the next episode of SYTYCD on Dancesport Malaysia.

Best Regards,

Dance Aficionado

Dance Like Champions

In my posting of 16th June 2008 entitled "How A Dance Competition Is Judged", I had talked about the factors that the judges would generally look for in a dance competition. The article was written in response to the comments made to my earlier posts by 3 of the competitors of SYTYCD, namely; Black, Sim and Hong. These 3 competitors had sought my advice on how they can improve their dancing skills and become better dancers. I hope my article had been of help to them.

When Black, Sim and Hong wrote to me, they were then in the Top 18 . Based on my observations on their performance in the earlier rounds, I had predicted that all 3 would make it to the Top 10. I was spot on as all 3 had indeed made it to the Top 10. Congratulations to the 3 of you for a splendid performance. So far you all have danced well except for a couple of minor slips here and there.

The competition is now heating up and is getting to be cut-throat. To be a winner, you will have to stand out from the rest of the crowd in your dance interpretation, showmanship, demeanour, etc. To be a winner, you must look and dance like a champion! In competitive ballroom dancing we talk of the 4 P's - Poise, Posture, Performance & Perfection.

The couple to watch will be Black and Sim. Black is good in Hip Hop whilst Sim's forte is in Contemporary. Both are strong dancers in their own genres. Since they will be partnering each other from now on (and hopefully till the finals), they must learn to dance together and complement each other's strengths. Both will make a great couple but will henceforth, need to put in many long hours of practice in order to achieve perfection. The way to perfection is practise, practise, practise. Like they say - "Practice makes perfect".

I believe that Black and Sim will make it to the Top 4. Well, I am even willing to predict that both or one of them will make it to the final Top 2. Both must however not become complacent and rest on their laurels. I'll be cheering them on in the coming episodes of So You Think You Can Dance Malaysia 2 on 8TV. To Black and Sim - step out on to the dance floor and dance like champions!

Good Luck & Best Wishes,

Dance Aficionado

Dancesport Malaysia

So You Think You Can Dance Malaysia 2 - Top 12

The show at the Ruums Bar & Club, KL started on cue at 9.30 p.m. The 12 top finalists stepped on to the dance floor and were introduced by the lively host, Aishah Sinclair. Aishah next introduced the panel of judges to the audience. They were the usual threesome of Pat, Judimar and Ramli plus the guest judge, the lovely Manuela Oliviera, a dance choreographer from Australia.

Then it was time for the contestants to show off their stuff. The dances were mainly of the Contemporary and Hip Hop genres. The names of the couples and the dances they had to perform were:-

1) Ray & Cecilia - Contemporary Jazz

2) Black & Farah - Hip Hop

3) Hong & Sarah - Malaysian Contemporary

4) Raymond & Jojo - Hip Hop

5) Sly & Sim - Malaysian Contemporary

6) Belalang & Jorida - Viennese Waltz Contemporary Mix

Most of the contestants performed their dances pretty well. The exception had to be couple number 6 Belalang & Jorida who did a poor rendition of the Viennese Waltz. The judges commented that there was no waltz character in the dance and there was no chemistry between the partners.

My vote for the Best Male Dancer is Black whilst Sim gets my vote for the Best Female Dancer. In this episode they got to perform the dances that they are really good in - Black in Hip Hop and Sim in Contemporary. They were in their elements and gave their all. "Black, you stole the show" and "Sim, your performance is the best tonight" were some of the comments given by the judges to these 2 contestants.

After the contestants had performed their dances, it was time for the judges to pick the Bottom 6. They were Jorida, Belalang, Sarah, Hong, Cecilia and Ray. The lines were then opened for the audience to cast their votes by sms to determine which 2 contestants would be sent home.

While waiting for the votes to come in, host Aishah announced that the contestants would be paired off with different partners for the next round (except for the Bottom 2 in this round). The names of the new couples are:-

1) Sly & Jojo

2) Belalang & Sarah

3) Ray & Farah

4) Raymond & Jorida

5) Hong & Cecilia

6) Black & Sim

After the telephone lines had been closed and the votes tallied, Belalang and Sarah were told that they had been chosen as the Bottom 2. We are now down to the Top 10 from the earlier Top 20. Let's hope to see the contestants "sizzle" on the dance floor in the coming episodes.

Watch out for my new post titled "Dance Like Champions" which will appear on 7th July.

Best Wishes,

Dance Aficionado

So You Think You Can Dance Malaysia 2 - Top 14

June 26, 2008

The crowd at the Ruums Bar & Club Kuala Lumpur went wild when host Aishah Sinclair went on to the dance floor to start the show. The show started off with the usual group dance performance by the Top 14 finalists. Aishah then introduced the judges to the audience. Besides the usual trio of Pat, Judimar and Ramli; the guest judge this time was Dida Malik, a UITM lecturer and professed "Preserver of the Malaysian Arts".

We are now down to 14 dancers. Sly & Sim are partnering each other for the first time as their previous partners were eliminated in the earlier round. The couples and the dances they had to perform were:-

1) Belalang & Jorida - Hip Hop

2) Black & Farah - Malaysian Contemporary

3) Hong & Sarah - Lyrical Contemporary

4) Sly & Sim - Lyrical Hip Hop

5) Chee Wei & Sam - Contemporary Salsa Fusion

6) Ray & Cecilia - Contemporary Viennese Waltz Mix

7) Raymond & Jojo - Hip Hop

The dancers are generally getting better and have shown much improvement as noticed by the judges. It is getting to be tough picking out the best couple. My vote for the Most Promising Couple goes to couple number 2, Black & Farah who did a Malaysian Comtemporary Dance. They showed passion in their dance and were able to express the joy of dancing in their movements and facial expressions. The judges complimented them for performing a fun, lively and energetic dance. One judge praised them for being one of the best couples in the competition.

The Least Promising Couple had to be couple number 5, Chee Wei & Sam who had to dance a Contemporary Salsa Fusion . They appeared stiff and there was no salsa character or flavour in their performance. The judges remarked that there was no fire, no passion and no synchrony in their dance. Sam should also have worn a sexier and more appropriate salsa dress for this dance.

After all the contestants had performed their dances it was time for the judges to pick the Bottom 6. They were Jorida, Hong, Sarah, Chee Wei, Sam and Raymond. As expected, Chee Wei & Sam didn't make it to the next round.

We seem to be getting an overdose of Hip Hop and Contemporary dances. Let's hope that we will be able to watch different and exciting genres of dances in the coming episodes.

Best Regards,

Dance Aficionado

So You Think You Can Dance Malaysia 2 - Top 16

The show on June 19 started off with a group dance performance by the Top 16 finalists. They performed a number which was beautifully choreographed by Ashwar and Yannus. The banner-carrying audience were shouting themselves hoarse and really enjoying themselves.

Ramli Ibrahim was back again to judge the competition together with Pat Ibrahim and Judimar Hernandez. Dance choreographer Yannus Sufandi was invited to be a special guest judge.

The theme for the show was - "A Night At The Movies", whereby the competitors had to performed dances choreographed to songs that were featured in the movies.

The names of the couples and the dances they had to perform were:-

1) Hong & Sarah - Hip Hop

2) Napi & Sim - Cha Cha Cha

3) Belalang & Jorida - Contemporary

4) Sly & Zef - Rock and Roll

5) Ray & Cecilia - Hip Hop

6) Black & Farah - Malaysian Contemporary

7) Raymond & Jojo - Salsa

8) Chee Wei & Sam - Street Jazz

Sad to say, most of the finalists are good in Hip Hop or Contemporary but are generally weak in the other genres. Other than in the Hip Hop and Contemporary, the dancers were unable to express the character of the dances well.

The most outstanding couple was couple number 6, Black & Farah who performed a Malaysian Contemporary dance to the accompaniment of the song aptly titled Senang Tari. They danced with such ease, grace and fluidity. They showed passion in their dance and earned rave reviews from the judges.

There was a tie for the weakest couple - couple number 4, Sly & Zef who did a Rock and Roll and couple number 7, Raymond & Jojo who performed the Salsa.

Sly & Zef had to dance the Rock and Roll to the accompaniment of the song La Bamba. They fumbled and had trouble executing the Lifts and Twirls. Mind you, Zef is not a petite dancer. It is not easy to dance Rock and Roll to La Bamba because there is no Rock and Roll character in this song! The choreographer should have chosen a more catchy tune such as In The Mood played by Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers. In The Mood was first featured in the 1941 movie Sun Valley Serenade and has since been featured in more than 10 movies!

Raymond & Jojo who danced a watered down version of the Salsa to the accompaniment of the song "Refugio De Amor" were equally disappointing Instead of showing us some slick salsa moves they did more cuddling then dancing. There was no salsa "flavour" in their dance. The choreographer should have chosen a salsa piece with a more upbeat tempo. For competitors who have never danced a particular genre before it would be better for the choreographers to teach them to dance simple basic steps, well, than to dance advance and complicated steps horribly! For these two couples even the judges remarked that there was no character or "essence" in their dances.

The bottom 6 dancers chosen by the judges were Napi, Jojo, Raymond, Zef, Sly and Sarah. They then had to do the customary "Dance For Survival". After the sms votes were received and counted, the 2 dancers who did not make it to the next round were Napi and Zef.

So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD) will be organising a series of roadshows throughout Malaysia in the coming weeks whereby you can get to meet the finalists in person. The top 14 finalists of SYTYCD will be in Penang this Saturday, June 21. For more details please check out www.8tv.com.my.

Best Regards,

Dance Aficionado

Dancesport Malaysia

How A Dance Competition Is Judged

I have received comments to my posts on So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD) from 3 of the top 16 finalists namely; Hong, Black and Sim. They have requested me to give them some pointers on how they can improve their dancing and become better dancers. First of all I would like to congratulate them for making it into the Top 16. I believe they can make it to the Top 10 if they continue dancing with the same passion as they did last week.

The producers of SYTYCD are basically looking for dancers who can dance all genres well instead of just being good in one style of dancing. In short, they are looking for a dancer-of-all-genres. In the last season of SYTYCD, the forms of dances that were performed by the contestants were - Contemporary, Hip Hop, Broadway, Jazz, Salsa, Mambo, Argentine Tango, Ballroom (Waltz & Viennese Waltz) and Latin American ( Cha Cha Cha, Samba & Paso Doble).

This season, I believe the contestants will be required to perform the same genres. By listening very carefully to the comments made by the judges you would be able to get an idea of what qualities the judges are looking for in a good dancer. These are some of the pointers that the judges of SYTYCD have commented on :-

Appearance - Contestants should be appropriately attired for the dance they are going to perform. If you are doing a Ballroom or Broadway dance, a tail coat for the man and a ballroom gown for the lady would be an eye-catcher. For Hip Hop, the grunge look is acceptable. Dress for the dance. Stand tall, look confident and smile at the judges, the spectators and the TV viewers! You are judged the moment you step on to the dance floor.

Posture - Dancers with good posture and poise stand out among the crowd and are quickly noticed by the judges. The way you correctly hold each other, together with the right body and foot positions will enable you to dance effortlessly around the dance floor. When your partner complains that you are "heavy", most probably it has something to do with your posture. So, good posture is very important.

Character - Every dance has its own distinctive character or "flavour". The Cha Cha Cha is a fun, & cheeky dance. The Paso Doble showcases a bullfight; with the man as the matador and the lady as the cape.The tango walks, staccato movements and the sharp head snaps gives ballroom Tango its very essence. Make sure you understand the character of the dance and show it in your body movements and facial expressions.

Timing - The judges had remarked that some of the contestants were off in their timing. Make sure you dance on time, with the right accentuation and rhythmic expression. For example, in the Waltz, the accentuation is on the first beat. For the Cha Cha Cha and Rumba the first step of each figure is taken on the second beat of music (count 2).

Footwork - Footwork refers to the parts of the foot used when making a step. For example "heel flat", "ball flat, "ball", "toe", etc. Forward steps for Latin American dances are "ball flat" with the exception of certain figures in Samba and Paso Doble. Correct footwork is important for the figures to be executed well. In the Ballroom dances (except Tango) the proper use of rise and fall will add expression to your dancing.

Togetherness - Are both of you dancing together or are you doing your own thing? The judges always talk of chemistry between the partners, the flow of energy, synchronicity, etc. Do you have that chemistry and are the both of you dancing together? Both of you should be like two persons dancing with one soul. If you do not dance together, you will soon be dancing your way out of the competition and going your separate ways!

Technique - Technique is the foundation for all dance movements. The use of correct techniques enables a dancer to perform a dance with style and grace. Technique is essential for jumps and turns in contemporary and jazz dances. The use of the supporting leg and sway in Ballroom dances (except for Tango where there is no sway) and the samba bounce and pelvic actions in Samba are further examples where the use of the right technique is important.

Showmanship - Above all, as SYTYCD is also a live TV show, the judges are looking for "artistes" and not just dancers. Do you dance for yourselves or for the audience? Is your dance artistic and entertaining; so much so that the judges will clap their hands and shout "bravo, what a performance"? You must display passion in your dance and connect with the audience. You must be able to express the joy of dancing in your body movements and facial expressions.

To the Top 16 finalists - Good Luck!

Best Wishes,

Dance Aficionado

Dancesport Malaysia

So You ThinkYou Can Dance Malaysia 2 - Top 18

The show which was held on June 12 was telecast live from Ruums, KL and was hosted by the bubbly Aishah Sinclair. The judges were Pat Ibrahim, Judimar Hernandez and the very lovely Linda Jasmine who stood in for Ramli Ibrahim who was unable to make it this time.The placard-carrying audience was boisterous and you could see many uncles and aunties in the crowd. I guess they were there to support their favourite contestants whom I believe also happen to be their children.

Last week 18 contestants were chosen to go to the next round. This time the contestants were paired off with each other again except for Sly and Zef who are partnering each other this time as their previous partners were eliminated in the previous round. The names of the couples and the dances they had to perform were:-

1) Belalang & Jorida - Modern Contemporary

2) Raymond & Jojo - Broadway

3) Sly & Zef - Afro Cuban Contemporary

4) Hanafi & Sim - Lyrical Jazz

5) Ray & Cecilia - Mambo

6) Fai & Zen - Malay Contemporary

7) Chee Wei & Sam - Hip Hop

8) Hong & Sarah - Malay Contemporary

9) Black & Farah - Hip Hop/Salsa

Many of the dances performed were of the contemporary genre. Surprisingly there were no Ballroom and Latin American dances in this round. Could it be these style of dances were too difficult for the contestants to attempt?

Most of the contestants danced fairly well and were appropriately attired for their performances. However you could see that a couple of them appeared tense, nervous or just plain tired. They were not fluid in their moves, made mistakes and could not express the joy of dancing. One contestant in particular put on a long face! That's a big No-No in competitive dancing. Whatever it is, you must show to the judges and the audience that you really enjoy dancing and must be able exude that joy well in your body movements and facial expressions.

My vote for the Best Couple is a tie between couple number 4, Hanafi & Sim who did a lyrical jazz piece and couple number 9, Black & Farah who danced a hip hop/salsa mix. "The best so far, bravo, excellent" were some of the comments made by the judges for couple number 4. As for couple number 9, the judges were equally lavish in their praises with remarks such as "entertaining, perfect, what a performance!".

The Bottom 6 chosen by the judges were Cecilia, Ray, Zen, Chee Wei, Sarah and Fai. After doing their "Dance For Survival" the lines were opened for the audience and television viewers to cast their votes by sms. Fai and Zen did not make it to the next round. Tears were seen flowing on their faces and many of their supporters in the audience very equally moved to tears. Hope we will see more exciting performances instead of the usual contemporary and hip hop stuff next week. In my next post, I will write on how dance competitions are judged.

Best Wishes,

Dance Aficionado

Dancesport Malaysia

So You Think You Can Dance Malaysia 2 - Top 20

5th June 2008

The show was telecast live from Ruums, KL and was compered by Aishah Sinclair. To judge the contestants were Ramli Ibrahim, Judimar Hernandez and Pat Ibrahim. The winner of this competition will 'dance' home with a RM50,000 cash prize and a scholarship from 8TV.

Last week the contestants had been paired off at random and had to perform a dance picked also at random. Luck can sometimes play a part in whether the contestants can proceed to the next round or not. The contestants who were paired off and the dances they had to perform were as follows:-

1) Black & Farah - Hip Hop

2) Ray & Cecilia - Mambo

3) Chee Wei & Samantha - Contemporary

4) Fairul & Zen - Hip Hop

5) Belalang & Jorida - Malaysian Contemporary

6) Hanafi & Sim - Viennese Waltz

7) Sly & Vivian - Argentine Tango

8) Billy & Zef - Street Jazz

9) Raymond & Jojo - Hip Hop

10) Hong & Sarah - Street Jazz

The best couple was couple number 5, Belalang and Jorida. While Belalang is a trained Malay traditional dancer, Jorida learned ballet during her younger days and is not well versed with contemporary dance. The couple however managed to pull it off with a beautiful rendition of the Malaysian traditional dance. The three judges -Ramli, Judimar and Pat were full of praises for them.

There was a tie for the worst dance performance - the Vienesse waltz danced by couple number 6, Hanafi & Sim and the Argentine tango performed by couple no 7, Sly & Vivian.

The Viennese waltz was not the standard Vienesse waltz danced with the natural turns, reverse turns and fleckerls.What was danced was a insipid watered-down version with the couple going round in circles and trying to catch up with the quick tempo of the dance. The couple struggled to dance one natural turn and one reverse turn and it looked very unnatural. Even Ramli remarked that the performance was a total flop!

The Argentine tango performance was a big let down. The couple tried to dance some figures like the ochos, ganchos and cruzadas but looked stilted and amateurish. Maybe to impress the judges, both of them even did handstands! A handstand figure in Argentine tango? Heaven forbid! This is sacrilegious! "No passion" and "tidak ada api (no fire)" were some of the comments made by Judimar and Pat.

At the end of the show the Bottom Four dancers were chosen by the judges. They were Billy, Vivian, Hanafi and Zen. All of them had thirty seconds to perform a "Dance For Survival' to ensure that they survive to the next round. After the sms votes were received and tabulated, two of them - Billy and Vivian were told they were going home.

We are now down to 9 couples. Next week another couple will be told to go home. Who will they be? Don't miss the next episode of 'So You Think You Can Dance Malaysia 2"

Warmest Regards,

Dance Aficionado

So You Think You Can Dance Malaysia 2 - Top 20 Roll Call

May 29 2008

Twenty finalists ; 10 guys and 10 girls have been chosen.

The guys are - Ray, Raymond, Fairul, Hanafi, Hong, Billy, Belalang, Chee Wei, Black and Sly.

The girls are - Farah, Samantha, Vivian, Zef, Joridah, Cecilia (CC), Jojo, Zen, Sim and Sarah.

Seventeen of the finalists are from the peninsula while three are from Sabah. Considering that one heat was held in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, it was surprising to note that there were no finalists from the neighbouring state of Sarawak. Could it be due to a dearth of talents from Sarawak or that Sarawakians are not really into social dancing?

The finalists and their families were interviewed. The finalist told us a little about themselves; how they got into dancing, what they do for a living, their aspirations, etc. About 7 or 8 of the finalists said that they are either dance instructors or professional dancers. Is this good for the competition?

Next week, the contestants will be paired off at random and do a dance picked also at random. We wish them good luck and hope that they will be matched with a partner whom they can click and do a dance that both are good at.

Best Regards,

Dance Aficionado

So You Think You Can Dance Malaysia 2 - Boot Camp

May 22, 2008

Out of 60 dancers, 20 (10 guys & 10 girls) were chosen for the final Top 20. Who are they? You'll get to know them next week.

In this episode we were shown as usual, the screams, hugs and shedding of tears.

The competition is heating up so keep posted for the latest comments every week.

Tune in to 8TV every Thursday at 9.30 p.m. to catch the action live! Do not forget to read the very interesting commentary on the competition by Dance Aficionado of Dancesport Malaysia, the next morning on this blog.

Best Regards,

Dance Aficionado

Dancesport Malaysia