Yeah, I don't think we get nearly as many strong Emmy contenders as last year. Nor nearly as many good ballroom pieces out of the year.

My faves were the addiction dance, the butt dance, the thief dance and (even though I bitched it wasn't a paso doble) that final paso with Jeanine and Brandon. I couldn't keep my eyes off it and that's what matters in the long run for the dancers.

Yeah, the only good ballroom dance that really stands out was that tango with Janette and Brandon.

Yeah, that was a really good tango. It wasn't as good during the finale, but I think that they didn't have the rehearsal time.

I'd say my three favorites were Shane's zombie dance, the final paso, and the butt dance (although I never thought of it as French-sounding music).

Other favorites: the chain dance, addiction, and Sonya's death dance.

For ballroom, I liked Brandon and Janette's cha-cha and argentine tango as well as Jean-Marc's "Puttin' on the Ritz" quickstep.

I liked Travis', I did like the butt dance in theory, but I think I would've liked it better with other dancers. The tango was good. Addiction was good--it was one of the few times I wasn't thinking "Dang, I wish Kupono was Mark". The thief dance was great. I loved the Crash Test Dummies, actually, and was sad what's her name got kicked off so soon, because she was really good in that. Rock and Roll vs. Hip Hop was cute, and I loooooved Calle Ocho, even when I wasn't a fan of the camera work....

I almost forgot about Crash Test Dummies--I loved that piece! Kupono really demonstrated how good he is at embracing a character there, and Ashley (IIRC) was excellent.

Addiction was good--it was one of the few times I wasn't thinking "Dang, I wish Kupono was Mark".

Yeah, definitely this. My love for Mark issopure that I think Kupono suffered for it. Kupono is his own thing, and he's good in his own way. He doesn't have to be Mark, and the way he approached the addiction dance definitely brought his own self to the dance floor.

Crash Test Dummies was also great and I think Ashley bit it too soon. I didn't really love Hip Hop vs. Rock, but I think it was mostly because I was more ready for hard-hitting all hip hop, which that routine wasn't. Which is how it was choreographed, so that's fine.

ABDC:

I finally caught the ep. I really liked the show. It was SO much better than that travesty of irony "America's Got Talent." I *loved* the dance off and based on the dance off, I think the correct crew went home.

I agree with the above comments that Donyelle's group needs to tighten up and if they do, they will be a strong force to be reckoned with. There aren't as many acrobatics this time around, which I find interesting.

Yeah, I think that's a good thing IMHO. I think sometimes the dance gets overshadowed by the impressiveness of the acrobatics.

One of Shankman's movies will be filming outside my office tomorrow. Must try to see the Shankman.