More Thanh Words

"My name is Thanh and I'm a Blogger". Now that I have admitted to that, I can say that I'm a stereotypical "geeky" Engineer who enjoys sci-fi books and movies and into all things technological. I also love music and have a passion for FOOD. I'm a social person and like to talk to people. I hate people who are fake or overly aggressive. If you're also into some serious discussion, with a pinch of sarcasm and a dash of real emotion, then please read on.

Sunday, April 27, 2008

So You Think You Can Dance Australia - And The Winner Is...

Tonight was the finale of a great first up season of So You Think You Can Dance Australia. Not all things were perfect, but on the whole it was good.

Previous posts about the shows are here
Top 10 Live Show
Top 10 Verdict Show

Top 9 Live Show
Top 9 Verdict Show

Top 8 Live Show
Top 8 Verdict Show

Top 7 Live Show
Top 7 Verdict Show

Top 6 Live Show
Top 6 Verdict Show

Top 5 Live Show
Top 5 Verdict Show

Top 4 Live Show
Top 4 Verdict Show

Top 3 Live Show
Top 3 Verdict Show

Top 4 Individual Dancers

The show started off with a huge dance number choreographed by Matt Lee. It involved many many different styles and even the judges made an appearance. Bonnie did a ballroom dance with Jason Gilkison, while Matt and Jason did some jazz style dance with Kelly Abbey. It was a great energetic start to the show and got everyone fired up. It was fun to see the judges, who we all know have a lot of credentials in dance, actually show what they could do. And they were good.

Dean Perry's tap dogs then took over. It was fairly entertaining but felt a bit out of place. I was waiting to see the contestants. Maybe this could have been slotted in a bit later in the show. Also, usually the tap dogs utilise so many props and it's a huge spectacle, but this was a smaller set and it was quite good but not their best. The little "Tap Puppies" were very cute.

So I'm waiting and waiting for the contestants to get into their partner dancing, but instead we have another act that felt out of place. There was a hip hop routine choreographed by Project Moda for Khaly. It was performed to "Around The World" by Daft Punk. It wasn't a totally entertaining routine and was just a bit weird that it was at the start of the show. Also, as you will later see, why was Khaly doing a solo performance when everyone else did paired ones.

Still I'm waiting for the main show to kick into gear. And instead of seeing all 20 dancers, we next have the kids from the current Billy Elliot stage production. They were ok, but not great. The Billy Elliot kids did a much better routine on last season's Dancing With The Stars. This routine was a mish mash of things from the stage show I guess and didn't really have a story through it.

Finally, we got to see the Top 20 dancers. Instead of like the American versions, where all the choreographers from the season chose their favourite dances and those were performed, the Australian version had everyone doing a routine. I actually preferred the American way so that you get to relive all the best dances, even if that means some people do 3-4 dances because they were involved in the best ones. But I guess that doesn't reward everyone else who was also on the show by giving them a chance to perform. Anyway, they Top 10 performed a group routine by Nacho Pop and Juliette "Jet" Verne to "I Got Rythm". It was quite a strange routine and a bit stop start for me. It didn't really work.

The show started to kick into second gear when the Top 4, Kate, Demi, Rhys and Jack did a group routine. This time, it was a Kelly Abbey jazz routine performed to Christina Aguilera's "Ain't No Other Man". I loved this routine and it was a very high energy piece. Jack was again the stand out for me, with his smooth moves and great turns on display. Demi made a small slip up again but overall the routine was full of fun.

Next it was the first announcement of who would leave. Predictably, it was Demi. She has been great all season and was very honest and funny in her farewell speech where she joked with her sister Lorraine.

Next up were the Top 20 doing their best routines during the season. It wasn't the best best routines. Because if that were the case, people like Jack, Rhys and Kate would be doing 3-4 routines each. Instead, it was a selection of routines from the season so that everyone got to dance.

First up were Stephanie and Marko doing their Jason Gilkison Jive to The Veronica's "Untouched". They did this routine better than the first time they performed it. It was more controlled and in sync, but still I didn't really like it. It was one of a few of Jason's routines that wasn't fantastic. His skill was definitely on display tonight with so many of his routines being performed.

Camilla and Sermsah then reprised their Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon theme martial arts performance by Project Moda. They performed this better as well this time, with timing better and the moves sharper. I guess when you have more time to practise, you can definitely improve. Sermsah also made the lift this time.

Laura and Anthony's best dance was definitely their disco routine by Aleeta Blackburn to "Boogie Wonderland" by Earth, Wind and Fire. I enjoyed this routine a lot the first time round, but their reprisal was actually worse than their initial routine. Anthony lost his balance a few times, the lifts were much worse and Laura's spins were pretty bad.

Jemma and Rhys waltz by Jason Gilkison to Celine Dion's "A New Day Has Come" was still as wonderful as the first time. In fact, it was almost perfect the first time but I think it was even better this time.

Rhiannon and JD got to retry their infamous Tango routine where JD forgot the steps. Their Fabio Robles choreographed Tango turned out to be really really excellent. All the intricate steps that they missed the first time were very good. JD was ecstatic that he nailed the routine this time.

Kate and Hilton did the only dance they performed together, a Foxtrot by Jason Gilkison. The Kylie Minogue "Two Hearts" song they performed the Foxtrot too worked quite well to bring out the little bit of cheekiness in the routine.

Kassie and Graeme did their Sarah Boulter contemporary routine to "Yesterday". This version of the song wasn't by the Beatles, but instead a cover by someone. Their routine this time round was much better than their first try. They were much more convincing emotionally I thought and the lifts were even more spectacular.

Finally, Vanessa and Henry redid their Jason Gilkison Samba. They were equally fierce in this routine as they were the first time. Vanessa's moves were even sharper this time and all the lifts were excuted perfectly, especially the final death drop where Vanessa's head was even closer to the ground this time.

Strangely, Jack and Demi didn't do any routines. Unless I missed it while I walked away during the ad breaks. But I'm pretty sure they didn't do anything. Also, strangely missing was Courtney, who got eliminated the first week. Khaly got to do a solo but Courtney was nowhere to be seen.

Next up, Damien Leith did a cover of Gary Jules "Mad World", which Gary had covered from Tears For Fears. Gary Jules cover of Mad World is one time when the cover is so different from the original, and even better. Damien did a good job and was helped by Jacob, the 15 year old dancer who auditioned. He is truly an amazing talent. If he was in the show this year, I think he would have gone far. He got a scholarship to train at the Sydney Dance Company.

The next elimination saw Kate get eliminated. It was expected as the two boys were the standout all season. I think Kate's experience and professionalism really shone through in her speech. Whereas other people's speeches were all over the place, Kate speech was consise, eloquent and yet still contained emotion. She is truly a class act.

Leona Lewis then performed her worldwide smash hit "Bleeding Love". Leona is really beautiful. Grainy Youtube videos don't do her justice. I watched all her X-factor performances on Youtube and she has definitely become a much more confident performer and was working the crowd really well. Her blue eyes were so engaging.

The last performance of the night before the announcement of the winner was from Jack and Rhys. They did a medley of ballroom dances choreographed by Jason Gilkison. I managed to spot some jive, samba, cha cha and foxtrot in there. The song sounds like a song by The Cat Empire. I'm not sure. Maybe someone knows?

Then it was down to the announcement. Both Jack and Rhys reaction was of pure anticipation and excitement. And the winner is...Jack. The crowd erupted. The judges were standing up. Applause all round for both contestants. Glitter streamed all over the place. The other contestants rushed the stage and congratulated both guys. Nat gave a final farewell whilst everyone was on stage hugging everyone else.

And that was the first season of So You Think You Can Dance Australia. I have thoroughly enjoyed it and it has lived up to the American version that I have been comparing it to. The dancers were just as good. Some of the routines were outstanding. Others were a bit hit and miss. The emotions of the contestants really captured the nation I think. But in the end, it was about dance. And the best dancer in Jack, won. He was also the most loved dancer too, so I think the public, myself included, got it totally correct to vote Jack the winner. Here's hoping to bigger and better things for all the contestants. Now bring on season 2.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Indian Premier League - Twenty 20 Tournament

I used to be one of the critics saying that Twenty 20 was all gimmick and no substance. But ever since the Twenty 20 World Cup, I've thoroughly enjoyed the spectacle that Twenty 20 is. With the current Indian Premier League, the spectacle has been turned up from a 10 to an 11. The tournament is day after day of frenetic cricket.

The league is a multi billion dollar franchise where rich businessmen, Bollywood movie stars and celebrities auctioned for players to be in their team. There are eight teams and they play each other before a final. In the scheme of International cricket, I don't think it means too much to players. The players treat the games seriously enough, but I don't know how much they care should they not win the trophy at the end. A lot has been said of how much the players are getting paid and that it's all a bit of a grab for cash. I don't have anything against players trying to make a living. But if this league starts to conflict with other cricketing schedules, then you have to worry about the state of cricket in the end.

This league is a good enough idea and India, with its huge cricket loving population, can definitely sustain this format. But if players starting retiring or choosing this league over other forms of the game, you would have to wonder whether cricket will destroy itself in the quick grab for cash. Will audiences start to lose interest in Twenty 20 when it becomes common fare.

I for one, have started to wane off it just slightly. The first match in the tournament started on such a pulsating high, that every match since hasn't really matched it. The first match between the Bangalore Royal Challengers and the Kolkata Knight Riders had such a raucous crowd that it just drew me in. Brendon Mcallum came to the party and gave what the crowded wanted, ferocious hitting. He made over 150 runs and hit 13 sixes. The energy was just so high. But such is the case with Twenty 20, the matches can be so lopsided. The Royal Challengers got nowhere near the target when they chased and just collapsed. Yet the match was still a massive success due to one sides batting.

For the moment, I'll just keeping enjoying the fast paced nature of the league and we'll see soon whether crowds continue to enjoy this form of the game. I suspect all three forms of the game, Test, One Dayers and Twenty 20 need to coexist to make cricket a bigger and better sport. If any one of those forms is lost, players will start losing their skills and cricket may as well be baseball if Twenty 20 is the only form left. The skills will be so tailored to swing and miss batting and bowling defensively rather than trying to play different strokes and work the ball around and bowling to take wickets.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

So You Think You Can Dance Australia - Top 4 Individual Dancers

So we are down to the top 4 individual dancers. They each did a routine with each other and also a group dance tonght.

Previous posts about the shows are here
Top 10 Live Show
Top 10 Verdict Show

Top 9 Live Show
Top 9 Verdict Show

Top 8 Live Show
Top 8 Verdict Show

Top 7 Live Show
Top 7 Verdict Show

Top 6 Live Show
Top 6 Verdict Show

Top 5 Live Show
Top 5 Verdict Show

Top 4 Live Show
Top 4 Verdict Show

Top 3 Live Show
Top 3 Verdict Show

Demi and Jack
The familiar couple of Demi and Jack opened the show to a Jason Gilkison Cha Cha routine. Their Cha Cha routine was so much fun. It reminded me of their Samba routine in the Top 9 couples show where I really started to like both of them. Ever since then, I've been following these two, along with Rhys and Vanessa the closest. Again, the fun and energy between them was fantastic. I think out of all the couples in the show, these two have become the closest. Demi has really improved so much and was great in this Cha Cha. But once again, she was outshone by Jack, who seems to be able to do anything. His hip turns were like those of a professional ballroom dancer.

Demi: 4.5/5
Jack: 5/5

Kate and Rhys
The show has brought out all stops to get the best routines on this show. All of the really great choreographers were brought back. Kate and Rhys did a Supple routine. Two of Supple's other routines (performed by Kate and Rhys and Kate and Jack previously) have been among my favourite routines for the whole season, along with Jason Gilkison's ballroom routines. However, tonight both Supple's routines fell a bit short for me. Kate and Rhys were good as toy soldiers, but they needed more time to perfect the total unison that this routine required. With such understated movements, the sometimes synchronisation issues made the routine less effective

Kate: 4/5
Rhys: 4/5

Demi and Rhys
Demi and Rhys did a Debbie Ellis Contemporary routine. Demi has improved out of sight. Previously, her contemporary routines lacked that smooth flow and extensions. But she has improved greatly. Rhys was fantastic in the routine, showing his great extensions. There was also a lot of joy in the routine, which I don't usually associate with Rhys' routine.

Demi: 4.5/5
Rhys: 4.5/5

Kate and Jack
Kate and Jack did a Juliette "Jet" Verne Lyrical Jazz routine. Since they are both jazz dancers, the expectations were high. But they nailed the routine and was my favourite routine so far, until I saw what Jack and Rhys did later. Anyway, back to this routine. Kate and Jack hit their turns and moves so in sync and just work together so well. I think that in terms of a male/female partnering, these two are the ideal match. They just complement each other so well.

Kate: 5/5
Jack: 5/5

Demi and Kate
Demi and Kate did a Supple routine that was a bit Hip Hop and a bit Broadway. The routine didn't really lift off for me in the first half. Like the crowd, I was sitting there silent just sort of in anticipation. In the second half, I started to smile and get into it. They both did a good job, but the routine didn't help to highlight them.

Demi: 4/5
Kate: 4/5

Jack and Rhys
They saved the best for last. I was really excited to see what Jack and Rhys would do as they have been the most best during the whole series in my mind. They did a Adam Williams Broadway routine. Unlike the group routine they did last week, this routine was a way to compare them as they were doing pretty much the same moves. As I was watching and scribbling down notes, I wrote exactly what Jason said. Although they were both unbelievable, I felt that Jack's moves were just that bit smoother, a bit more extension, a bit more expressive. I thought it was just my bias, but when Jason said it too, it confirmed that my amateur judgement wasn't way off. But how good was the routine. I've watched it a few times now and they are both sensational dancers.

Jack: 5/5
Rhys: 5/5

Group Routine
The group routine was a Hip Hop routine, choreographed by Tiamo Juber I think. I didn't catch the name properly and hadn't seen any other routines by him/her all season. It was a very fun routine, with them all sort of battling it out. Everyone was great, with the only mistakes was when Demi lost the choreography a few times during the routine.

Demi: 4.5/5
Kate: 5/5

Jack: 5/5

Rhys: 5/5

Final Summary
Here is the final scores tallied up for the night as well as my opinion on who should win.

Demi: 17.5/20
Kate: 18/20

Jack: 20/20

Rhys: 18.5/20

I think the clear winner should be Jack. Although Rhys has very good technique and has done a lot of great routines, I think Jack has done more. Whereas Rhys has been in some ordinary routines, Jack hasn't made any faults in my mind. Somehow, Jack is able to bring out the best in whoever he dances with. He seems to have this ability to draw out more from his partners and support them. His solo routine during the episode when they all did solos was also the standout. Jack also seems to have more joy in his dancing, which I love. Tonight's direct routine with Rhys has shown that he is the superior dancer to Rhys in technique as well.

The girls, Demi and Kate are great dancers, but I don't think either of them has done as well all season as Jack and Rhys have. Demi's journey has been the greatest, overcoming so many obstacles to be an untrained dancer in the final four. Kate has shown that true talent will eventually shine through. She didn't capture the audience right from the start, but her great dancing has made people take notice.

In the end, any of the four is a deserving winner. They have all worked so hard and deserve whatever accolades come their way. But for me, I think Jack has been the best dancer as well as my favourite dancer. So I'll be sending a few votes his way and hopes that he wins.

Now I can't wait for the finale where all the other dancers come back and reprise some of the best routines of the season. I'm sure some Jason Gilkison and Supple routines will feature in that line up.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Matchbox Twenty Exile In Australia Tour

I've never been the biggest Matchbox Twenty fan, but after seeing their concert, I'm going to go and get their other albums. The only album of theirs that I own is their greatest hits/new songs album, Exile In Mainstream. This latest concert of theirs in Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena is the Exile tour, hence they did a lot of their greatest hits. I was surprised at how many songs I was able to sing along to. I must have only listened to the album 10 times, but a lot of their hits I have heard many times on the radio I guess.

The support act for Matchbox Twenty was the extremely talented Thirsty Merc. I've been a fan of Thirsty Merc since their first album so this was a real bonus. I knew all of the Mercs songs and sang along. Thirsty Merc were really great and did a great job warming up the crowd. Usually the crowd don't really get into the support act, but they managed to get everyone singing along and clapping. They were awesome and I would go to their concert if they were the main act.

So after about 40 minutes by the Merc, the crowd was all ready for Matchbox Twenty. They came out thumping with their latest hit "How Far We've Come" and blew the crowd away immediately. Lights were flashing all over the place as people (myself included) took photos of them.

I read a review of the concert in The Age after I had been to the concert already. In that review, the reviewer said that the concert didn't have much momentum and didn't rock out. I would have to totally disagree. I was hooked to the whole show. And some songs I didn't even know. Yet I listened fully engaged. Not all concerts have to be high energy the whole time. You do need a balance of some softer songs where the crowd can get into the groove.

I thought that Rob Thomas was a really great frontman. I never thought he had the greatest voice, but he does use his voice to full effects. I liked how he worked the stage and got everyone involved. People seemed to know the lyrics to a lot of the songs. I really liked "All Your Reasons", "Push", "If You're Gone", "Bright Lights" etc etc. I could keep going on. But I think the biggest highlight of the night was when they did a cover. They said they had only rehearsed this song during their warm up. When they started playing the first few chords, the whole crowd knew what it was. They were covering INXS "Need You Tonight". The crowd sang along to the whole song and filled on the chorus when needed.

Matchbox Twenty played for nearly two hours and I loved every moment of it. There was high energy and full on lights and instruments going everywhere, to lighter moments with Rob and a piano. The concert was lots of fun and well worth the money. Thirsty Merc were a great support act and entertained as much as Matchbox Twenty.

Here is a clip I took of Matchbox Twenty singing "Need You Tonight".

Monday, April 14, 2008

So You Think You Can Dance Australia - Top 3 Verdict Show

The top four that I wanted and predicted has eventuated. I think all the dancers that are left have shown how versatile they are and also they are really likeable. It will be extremely interesting to see who wins. I think that decision will pretty much come down to the dances they do next week as I think the popularity is very close.

Tonights results show showcased the latest Cirque du Soleil act. They were so amazing. It was a mixture of dance, art and gymnastics. It was entrancing watching the two dancers with their intricate and very athletic routine.

The dancers that followed almost looked second rate. However, I quickly forgot about that and just enjoyed what the last six had to produce. They have all improved so much that their solos are much more about dancing and expressing their feelings rather than cramming in as many tricks as possible. I still thought Jack's solo was the best.

Graeme and Vanessa have had a great journey and it was nice to see how far they've come from their auditions. The fact that Vanessa did an African type tribal dance for her solo shows what new technical skills she has learnt as well as a new confidence. The farewell speeches from everyone has been so great. The comraderie that the dancers exhibit is a total contrast to many other reality shows. Graeme's speech was excellent. It was a mixture of emotion, gratefulness and pure childness enjoyment. I'm sure he and Vanessa will do well from this experience.

So You Think You Can Dance Australia - Top 3 Live Show

I'm glad they got rid of the solo performances and have gone back to the tried and true formula of partner dancing. Instead of swapping partners for each of the two dances tonight, the pairs stayed together.
Previous posts about the shows are here
Top 10 Live Show
Top 10 Verdict Show

Top 9 Live Show
Top 9 Verdict Show

Top 8 Live Show
Top 8 Verdict Show

Top 7 Live Show
Top 7 Verdict Show

Top 6 Live Show
Top 6 Verdict Show

Top 5 Live Show
Top 5 Verdict Show

Top 4 Live Show
Top 4 Verdict Show

Kate
Kate started off with a Rumba paired with Rhys. It was a Jason Gilkison routine so the expectations from me were so high. I'm glad to say the routine lived up to my expectations. Jason Gilkison really is a genius in dance and his routines are top notch. The routine was so sensual and had all the stop start needed from a rumba. The song choice of "Message To My Girl" from Split Enz helped to make the routine even better, especially the end part.

Kate's second routine was a trio with Vanessa and Demi. Their routine was a Nacho Pop Hip Hop routine. The routine fell really flat for me. I didn't really get it or feel really entertained. Kate was hitting it hard in the routine and I can't fault her for her efforts. But I can't rate it too highly as it just wasn't entertaining.
Partner Routine 1: 4.5/5
Trio Routine 2: 3.5/5
Likeability: 4.5/5
Overall: 12.5/15

Rhys
Rhys partnered Kate for the Rumba. His dancing was equally good and he supported Kate throughout. That back piroette turn thing was amazing. He has really shown how versatile a dancer he is, adapting to hip hop as easily as ballroom.

Rhys second routine was a group one with Jack and Graeme. They were doing a routine from Supple. Like all Jason Gilkison routines, I know also have such high expectations from routines by Supple. Supple has choreographed my two favourite routines from the season so far. The routine was so different but fantastic. The strange moves and interaction between the three was great. Rhys was really good in it and it was hard to separate the three guys.
Partner Routine 1: 4.5/5
Trio Routine 2: 5/5
Likeability: 4.5/5
Overall: 14/15

Demi
Demi was partnered with her long time partner Jack for a Garry Stewart Contemporary routine. Demi, as the judges have said, has done many many contemporary routines. Not all have been so good. But this robotic routine suited her so well. The routine just kept reminding me of something from Mortal Kombat. The way Demi was dressed just reminds me of one of the characters.

Demi did well in the trio routine but like Kate, the routine really didn't help any of them. The moves were quite bad and boring. It didn't help to showcase how good they all are. But that's not Demi's fault, she did the most she could with it.
Partner Routine 1: 4/5
Trio Routine 2: 3.5/5
Likeability: 4.5/5
Overall: 12/15

Jack
Jack is now my clear favourite for the title. His work in the contemporary routine with Demi was amazing. Even though Demi is the hip hop dancer and this contemporary contained a lot of sharp moves seen in hip hop, Jack outshone Demi I thought. If you look closely, he does small things to accentuate each movement. A kick might have a pointed toe that makes it look better. An arm flick has an extra wrist movement and improves it. He has not done a thing wrong all season in my opinion.

Jack's second trio routine was really good. His Meercat type moves were great. Even though all the guys were great, again, I thought Jack shone just a bit brighter. It's his attention to detail in each movement that makes him a bit better I think.
Partner Routine 1: 4.5/5
Trio Routine 2: 5/5
Likeability: 5/5
Overall: 14.5/15

Vanessa
Vanessa and Graeme did a Broadway routine by Adam Williams. The routine was good in parts, but also a bit slow in others. Generally you expect Broadway routines to be full of energy and not have lulls. But this routine had a few lulls for me. Vanessa was very good and executed the complex moves well. I agree with the judges and think that she did need to accentuate some moves with slightly sharper actions.

Vanessa's group routine was rather strange. When she first took off her glasses and was trying to act "sexy", the ways she rolled her eyes, I thought she was going into an asthmatic fit or something. She didn't pull off the sexy very well at all.
Partner Routine 1: 4/5
Trio Routine 2: 3/5
Likeability: 4/5
Overall: 11/15

Graeme
Graeme did the Broadway number with Vanessa. Graeme was very good in the routine and had the right mixture of technique and comedy. Graeme has also shown himself to be very versatile. But unfortunately for him, everything he can do, both Jack and Rhys do better.

Graeme's work in the trio routine was again great. His insect thing was done well. But seeing him side by side with Jack and Rhys showed that he lacks a little bit more needed to be up there with the other two.
Partner Routine 1: 4.5/5
Trio Routine 2: 4.5/5
Likeability: 3.5/5
Overall: 12.5/15

My clear favourite in terms of likeability as well as technique is Jack. I think he hasn't put a step wrong and deserves to be in the final four. Rhys has been a close second and also deserves to be in the top four. For the girls, Kate has really grown on me. She wasn't anywhere near one of my favourites at the start of the season. But her exceptional work each week has really grown on me. If she were to win the whole thing, I think that would be a great result as well. Demi has been the heart warming story. We've all seen her grow each week and she is just so likeable.

Therefore, I think Graeme and Vanessa should be eliminated tonight. Vanessa has been one of my favourites from the start, but her dancing has let her down a bit at times. Her lines are beautiful and she has excelled when she does things like that. But whenever she needs to do stronger sharper moves, she has struggled a bit. Graeme has never really grown on me all season. He is good technically but hasn't done a knock out routine. He has been sitting in the shadow of Jack and Rhys and I think his time is up.

Monday, April 07, 2008

So You Think You Can Dance Australia - Top 4 Verdict Show

Well, my pick for the Top 4 individual dancers that I want to see at the end is still in the running. The audience, like myself, have clearly shown their favourites. The automatically safe contestants tonight were Jack, Rhys, Kate and Demi. That was my pick for the final 4 as they are the best dancers and also the most loved dancers.

I think it will probably come down to a fight between the two guys as to who will win the title. They have both been outstanding but I would still put my money, and support, behind Jack.

The bottom two in the girls tonight between Rhiannon and Vanessa was a fair enough decision by the viewers. Rhiannon has been languishing near the bottom few couples each week and hasn't really captured the hearts of the nation. I think her immaturity has shown through at times and that has not endeared her to the viewers. Vanessa has been a surprise for me. I've liked her from the start but I thought a lot of people might find her too annoying in terms of her cuteness and high pitched voice. If she were in Big Brother, I can guarantee that she would have been the first voted off. But this is a different kettle of fish. People watching this dance show are enjoying her honesty and humility and just appreciating that she is giving it her all.

When Rhiannon left, you could really see how crushed she was. She was fighting back the tears so hard. I thought she would crack, but she held on and gave a great speech at the end.

Between the guys, I really wasn't sure who would go between Henry and Graeme. Wind back a month and Henry was clearly a favourite. He breezed past the audition rounds and was my pick to make it to the last four. But although he has been good at times, he hasn't been as versatile as Jack or Rhys and done exceptional dances each week. Graeme on the other hand, has had the opposite journey. He was near the bottom end to start off with, but has gained more and more strength and support as the show has gone on. I have seen the improvement in him. And who knew he could sing. He sounded pretty good when he sang those few words.

So with Henry announced as the next contestant to go, we are down to only six left. It's going to be tough to see anyone leave. They really are all such great dancers. But ultimately, there has to be one winner. Hopefully, they will all gain employment from this reality TV show rather than just 15 minutes of fame and are another tool in the reality TV juggernaut.

Sunday, April 06, 2008

So You Think You Can Dance Australia - Top 4 Live Show

I'm glad they got rid of the solo performances and have gone back to the tried and true formula of partner dancing. Instead of swapping partners for each of the two dances tonight, the pairs stayed together.
Previous posts about the shows are here
Top 10 Live Show
Top 10 Verdict Show

Top 9 Live Show
Top 9 Verdict Show

Top 8 Live Show
Top 8 Verdict Show

Top 7 Live Show
Top 7 Verdict Show

Top 6 Live Show
Top 6 Verdict Show

Top 5 Live Show
Top 5 Verdict Show

Vanessa and Rhys
Vanessa and Rhys kicked off the show with a Hip Hop piece by Supple. I had really high hopes about this routine as Kate and Rhys did a routine by Supple last week that I thought was the best routine of the whole series so far. Vanessa and Rhys did a good job dancing to "Tambourine" by Eve. I love that song by the way. I first heard it on the American SYTYCD and it is so catchy.

The second dance they did was a broadway number. I haven't seen West Side Story so don't really know what it should look like. The only thing close to it was when Kate Cebrano did he final Dancing With The Stars freestyle routine to the same song from West Side Story. I have to say, Kate's routine in Dancing With The Stars was better than tonights one.

Vanessa
Vanessa wasn't strong enough in her first hip hop routine. She tried hard but the moves just weren't sharp enough. In the second broadway routine, I thought she did a better job at acting it out, but as the judges said, that character is supposed to be much tougher and less girly.
Routine 1: 3/5
Routine 2: 3/5
Likeability: 4/5
Overall: 10/15

Rhys

Rhys was pretty good in the hip hop. His moves were sharper than Vanessa but still not quite sharp enough. He did shine in the broadway number. His pop style really suits broadway and the exaggerated emotions on his face works for this style.
Routine 1: 4/5
Routine 2: 4/5
Likeability: 4.5/5
Overall: 12.5/15

Kate and Jack
Kate and Jack did a Quickstep first up to a very catchy version of "Spiderman" by Michael Buble. The routine was choreographed by Leanne Bampton. Although Jason said he didn't know who she was, I think he must have been bending the truth a bit. Maybe he couldn't mention that she was on a whole series of Dancing With The Stars, taking Ian "Dicko" Dickson to the last three or four contestants. Jack and Kate did the wonderful routine so spectacularly. I loved the quick steps across the floor and the mid air splits was a highlight.

I didn't think Kate and Jack could outdo their first routine, but they did. Again, Supple choreographed a hip hop routine to "Singing In The Rain" of all songs. The remixed version of singing in the rain was used to full effect by Supple. The whole routine was perfect. From the old Hollywood feel start, to the middle fast/slow parts, to the perfect ending. I now have to say that this is the best hip hop routine of the series so far. I'm really liking what Supple is doing. And when it's performed by great dancers such as Kate and Jack, it is magical.

Kate
Kate was great in the Quickstep with her nice turns and partner work. In the hip hop, she was sharp when she needed to be, and smooth when required. Her timing with Jack was unbelievable. I'm really starting to like Kate more and more.
Routine 1: 5/5
Routine 2: 5/5
Likeability: 4.5/5
Overall: 14.5/15

Jack

For me, Jack has been the perfect dancer so far. He hasn't put a foot wrong regardless of who he has worked with. He has brought out the best in everyone he's partnered. And only his solo was good enough for me. His quickstep and particularly his hip hop were top notch. When he did the bounce off the floor move in the hip hop, it showed how versatile and great he is.
Routine 1: 5/5
Routine 2: 5/5
Likeability: 5/5
Overall: 15/15

Demi and Henry
Demi and Henry started with a House routine. The routine was a bit of a mess since they both weren't in time and it just felt weird. Learning that Demi missed some steps probably explained the messy feel of the routine. It lacked the energy required.

Demi and Henry did a contemporary routine to a nice song that I don't know who sang. It might have been Simple Plan or Good Charlotte or one of those soft rock bands. The routine was ok, but when its not really memorable, it means it didn't really hit the right notes. They both tried hard but their lack of technique brought the routine down a bit.

Demi
I expected Demi to be better at House, but she was hesitant and unsure instead. She did bounce back to do a good Contemporary routine with great emotion. There was a lot of joy in her dance and face during the contemporary routine.
Routine 1: 3/5
Routine 2: 4/5
Likeability: 4.5/5
Overall: 11.5/15

Henry

Henry was also rather messy in the House routine. He too bounced back in the contemporary routine and did a great job in emoting joy to the audience.
Routine 1: 3/5
Routine 2: 4/5
Likeability: 3.5/5
Overall: 10.5/15

Rhiannon and Graeme
Rhiannon and Graeme did a Burlesque routine to "Sweet Dreams". The song was covered by a band in a rock style rather than the original version by the Eurythmics. I always thought Burlesque was the Moulin Rouge type thing, but apparently it is a style. The routine was ok. I liked the intricate moves but didn't really feel the two dancers.

Their Jazz routine was performed to Madonna's newest song with Justin Timberlake "Four Minutes". The routine was sharp and played well to the song. They both did great with the dancing but the routine lacked a little choreography wise to be a fantastic routine

Rhiannon
I wrote from the start of the series that Rhiannon exuded sensuality. Well she showed it tonight in the Burlesque routine. In the Jazz routine, she was good but her over the top style is too much sometimes.
Routine 1: 4/5
Routine 2: 3.5/5
Likeability: 2.5/5
Overall: 10/15

Graeme

Graeme was ok in the Burlesque but didn't quite exude that sensuality required. He was much better in the Jazz where he could use his technique to good use.
Routine 1: 3.5/5
Routine 2: 4/5
Likeability: 3.5/5
Overall: 11/15

As it currently stands, if I were to pick a Top 4 individual for the finals in terms of dancing, I would choose Jack, Rhys, Kate and Rhiannon. But if I chose dancers in terms of who I wanted to be in the final, I would choose Jack, Rhys, Kate and Demi. I think that Demi has improved so much and deserves to be there. My pick for a winner currently would be Jack. Unless his performances start to drop off badly or someone else starts producing amazing stuff, I think Jack has proven himself to be the best and most loved dancer and would be a deserving winner. So I'm going to lay it on the line and pick Jack to be the eventual winner now.

Maroon 5 Melbourne Concert 2008

I was really excited to go and see Maroon 5 in concert. I loved their first album, Songs About Jane. I listened to that album so many times. Their latest album, It Won't Be Long Soon, hasn't been as good as the first, but still some good songs.

The concert turned out to be good, and bad. It started right on time at Rod Laver Arena, where Brandi Carlile began to entertain the crowd. I had never heard of Brandi but I think we'll be hearing more of her soon. She was really good, with some enjoyable songs and very strong vocals. Her version of Hellelujah, most famously covered by Jeff Buckley, was very good indeed. However, she was still the support act and the audience was only half full and people were watching it like they were watching lawn bowls, politely.

After a 30 minute break, One Republic came on. The crowd was much bigger by this stage and a larger cheer went up. One Republic went through some of their ablum songs, which probably some people didn't know too well. I have listened to their album so many times that I knew all the words even. When they sang "Stop and Stare" people joined in the singing. Finally, when they sang "Apologize", a mass of mobile cameras went up and everyone was filming it, myself included hehe. The crowd sang along to this song and then it was over after about 30 minutes. One Republic left the stage and again we waited another 30 minutes.

Finally, the main act came on. Maroon 5 started off full of energy and went from song to song. I have to say that they're an even better band live than on their albums. Adam Levine was working the crowd and everyone was playing really hard. I loved the songs from their first album, such as "Harder to Breathe" which they remixed and many many other songs. Their high energy songs really worked and all of us on the floor were up and dancing. A guy two seats down from me was singing so loud I could hear him all night. Maroon 5 played some slower songs that didn't work as well. Their cover of Phil Collins "One More Night" was so bad, it was worse than at karaoke. Otherwise, the crowd was pumping all night and they were great.

However, before we knew it after an hour, they said good night and that was it. It was all over, in a mere one hour. I know that they didn't have many stops (one brief one), but one hour is a bit too less singing when people have paid $99 for tickets. After 3.5 hours at Rod Laver Arena, we had only seen 2 hours of show, and one hour of that was support acts. As good as the support acts were, people were there to see the main act, Maroon 5. I think Brandi Carlile best summed it up when she said "I used to go to concerts and never pay attention to the support act, until I became a support act". The crowd didn't get into it until Maroon 5 were on stage. As good as the concert was, I felt short changed. I would have gladly had no support act for Maroon 5 to do a 90 minute set. Lets hope the next time they come back, they do a bit more work and entertain the crowd to their money's worth.

One Republic

Maroon 5

Eason Chan Moving On Melbourne Concert 2008

A group of friends and I went to watch Eason Chan in concert at the Arts centre. The arts centre seems a strange place to have a pop concert. I guess the acoustics would be great, but it's a bit small for a full blown concert. Also, the way the seats are, it's a bit tame as well.

It turned out that the acoustics were good as I suspected, but the concert was very disappointing. It hardly got out of first gear. Eason was late to start with and things never really got better. He is not my favourite artist as I find his vocals to be a bit one dimensional and monotonal. In the first few songs, when he was doing his low register, I couldn't even work out what he was singing. When he hits his higher register, its definitely much better but it doesn't lift me off.

There were dancers accompanying him for some of his time onstage, and I have to say, at times it was more interesting watching them than him. There were some songs that I knew but even then I didn't really join in the singing. The whole night just didn't have the right feel. He didn't really engage the audience. It wasn't until right at the very end did the audience start to get into it, by which stage he was done and ran off. Cheers for an encore were met with a repeat announcement that the concert was over. A truly disappointing concert and it cost $89 too. Jacky Cheung's concert at Vodafone was only $59 and so entertaining. He really knew how to work the crowd and people were singing and dancing for 3.5 hours, not this pathetic 90 minutes from Eason where he changed clothes every few songs. Jacky kept coming back for encore after encore and invited the audience to request songs. Now that is how you run an enjoyable concert.