SYTYCD - Top 20 Perform (Finally!)

I have said this about 5 times since I moved out here, but for all TV purposes, I hate living on the west coast. I hate being three hours behind my friends in watching TV, and I had really gotten used to prime time starting at 7 instead of 8. It is a real adjustment, and I am still bitter. All that to say my friends had already posted their blogs as I was just sitting down to watch last night's episode. On top of that, I have no DVR and was forced to type as I watched. This was VERY distracting (no pause or re watch capabilities). Now that I have finished my whining, you can read my rushed scatterbrained thoughts below.

I am a huge fan of So You Think You Can Dance?, starting from episode one, season one (I like to reiterate this as most people I know didn't watch season one). But I have been REALLY excited about this season starting ever since they performed on Idol Gives Back. But, for me, the season doesn't officially start until the first night of competition.

Rayven (ballet) & Jamie (west coast swing) - Hip Hop by Napoleon & Tabitha
Based on first impressions from the package video, I don't like Jamie. I just get a weird feel from him. Rayven seems cool, though. I enjoyed the choreography but didn't think it was very edgy. I guess I just don't really know Napoleon & Tabitha's choreography, but I will try to get used to it. And Jamie surprised me. I didn't expect him to pull it off and I thought he was good. His hat hid his face "pulls" (I think they called it), which is the most annoying thing that these ballroom dancers and swingers bring to the table (see Mark Ballas on Dancing with the Stars for reference). Rayven was alright, but not amazing to me. Could I have done without his blue underwear crotch grab? Probably. Did the dance make me like him more than I did initially? Definitely.

Susie (salsa) & Marquis (contemporary) - Smooth Waltz by Hunter Johnson
It is nice to see Susie with some clothes on. She is actually very pretty. Marquis is not the most masculine of dancers, which I think he needs to be for this dance. The lifts were awkward and I kept thinking she would fall. This is just a hard dance for anyone, but to be the first ones to do on the first episode seems tough. I don't think the Waltz is ever good at making people call in their votes.

Kourtni L. (contemporary) & Matt (contemporary) - Jazz by Mandy Moore
I am a huge Mandy Moore fan (see boardroom dance from last year). They are both so long and tall. I mean really long! Loved the style of the routine and the costumes. I thought it was pretty good. They seem awkward on the floor (or at least for this style of dance) for which I blame their long-ness. Nigel had a point about Matt seeming a little stick-up-the-butt, but was perhaps a little mean.

Chelsea T. (contemporary) & Thayne (contemporary) - Cha Cha by Tony Meredith (& Melanie)
Thayne looks like a mix of Nick Lazzarini (season 1 winner) and Benji Schwimmer (season 2 winner) to me. I felt like Chelsea was very commanding of the viewers' attention. She was the focal point. Thayne is a cutie, but probably not very well on display here. Overall, I felt like they tackled their first foray into Latin dancing very well. Good hip action! Both of them have loads of personality and seem like really fun performers. THAT is what brings out the votes.

Chelsie H. (ballroom) & Mark (contemporary) - Contemporary by Mia Michaels
Lucky lucky! They got Mia. That always makes you a shoe-in for votes early on. For being "Tim Burton's wedding", I thought it was very beautiful to watch, and the music really vamped up the emotion. Chelsie was surprisingly good at contemporary choreography. I liked Mark. He is a good-looking guy.

Kherington (contemporary jazz) & Twitch (free-style) - Broadway by Tyce Diorio
I really like Tyce and enjoy his Broadway choreography. For me, Kherington was ALL Broadway, while Twitch was still just a hip hop dancer doing Broadway. Not that he was bad, but standing next to her, it was just more obvious. Kherington has some serious star quality. And it was just a really fun routine. I have read many-a-blogger that really hate Kherington. Not sure why, but I am not jumping on that bandwagon until I get proof. She is a cute girl.

Comfort (hip hop) & Chris (contemporary) - Jive with Tony Meredith (and Melanie)
I am really hoping these two do well because they are both from the Dallas area (and I promised my friend Kristin I would vote for Chris). Comfort has some legs on her! Here again, I felt like Comfort was the main focal point and that Chris was more there to show her off. I just couldn't take my eyes off of her and personality is great. She is hilarious. I don't know that she was technically so great, but the pair of them was fun to watch. I agreed with Dan that they need to have chemistry together and not just be good individual performers.

Katee (contemporary) & Joshua (hip hop) - Hip Hop by Napoleon & Tabitha
The idea behind this dance was that he is leaving for war and this is their goodbye dance. I was impressed at how good the two of them were at expression the emotion of that. It was so good. I knew Joshua would be good at hip hop, and this choreography was great. Loved it. Katee was impressive, too. But I can't say I watched her all that much. I was staring at him the whole time. What a sweetheart he is.

Jessica (contemporary) & Will (contemporary) - Tango by Hunter Johnson
I am just awful at knowing when certain dances are done technically well, but I know if I enjoyed it and if the pair had chemistry. Check and check. My fave of the night? No, but good no less. The choreography was really good and looked very difficult.

Courtney G. (contemporary) & Gev (B-boy) - Disco by Doriana Sanchez
I expected Courtney to be good at this type of choreography (or any choreography based on her package video), but I wasn't expecting much from Gev. He is a ice skating hip hopper or something, right? I was rooting for him because his individual style is so different. Nigel was a little tough on the two of them. The truth is that I didn't blame the dancers but the choreographer here. I have never been a fan of Doriana Sanchez. I don't find her routines to be as technically difficult or exciting. They are more just a vomiting of Saturday Night Fever onto the floor. Yes, that was mean. One exception: Neil & Sara's disco routine from last season.

My favorite so far: Joshua & Katee, if I had to pick now.
My lease favorite so far: I can't say yet. I need to see some more.

I thought that, overall, the performances were really good for the first episode of the season. I am not ready to proclaim love or hate for any person or couple. Should be an interesting season!