Iveta Lukosiute – Robbed! Farewell, SYTYCDS8. (rant-ish)

You will be missed, Iveta. May bigger and better things come your way. (image via poptower.com)

Well, last night sucked.

After a brutal (and by brutal, I mean brutally flawed) double elimination of four of the top 20 dancers on So You Think You Can Dance season 8, viewers were left shocked and angry. One of the four dancers eliminated was Iveta Lukosiute, a ten-dance champion and ballroom expert. It was kind of stupid, and I’ll tell you why.

Now, why the need for a double elimination anyway? Why didn’t they just send two people home last week? They had much more viable candidates, like Mitchell, who was injured, and Clarice and Robert, whose solos didn’t impress me.

I feel like Nigel only pulled out the “no one goes home” card just to increase ratings. In earlier seasons, when someone was injured, people voted for them to continue (Ashleigh Di Lello, season 6) or their fate was put in the judges’ hands regardless (Noelle, season 6).

Anyway, what happened happened and this week six dancers, none of whom really deserved to be in the bottom three couples, were voted as the bottom three couples. Ouch.

Then, the solos came up. As much as I like Nick, Ricky’s solo was amazing – so I saw the judges’ reasoning behind saving Ricky and not Nick. What I can’t comprehend is why they chose to save Ryan over Iveta. Nigel admitted that Ryan’s solo was not as strong as it should have been, and yet he decided to keep her. What’s the point of having them perform solos if they’re not going to serve as a deciding factor? (Iveta’s solo, on the other hand, was smoking) Am I the only one who feels that this elimination was hypocritical, as Ricky’s strong solo saved him while Ryan’s disappointing one allowed her to continue in the competition?

Here’s a quote from an E! Interview with the judges:

“It was just a coincidence that Nick’s partner, Iveta, was sent home too, insist the judges. “We don’t even think about couples at that point—it just worked out like that,” Nigel said. Mary was disappointed that ballroom champion Iveta didn’t have a partner in her last dance tonight. “Most of the time a ballroom dancer can’t pull off a fabulous solo, because what they do best is dance with a partner,” she told us.”

Besides my instinct telling me that what Nigel said about couples not being considered in the equation is false, I also wonder what Mary meant, seeing as Ryan’s solo wasn’t better than Iveta’s, and she’s a contemporary dancer. Hm…

One of the worst eliminations in the history of this show. Bye-bye, Cougar Town. (image via fox.com/dance)

I know this post is starting to sound like a hate-fest on Ryan, but that’s not my intention. I’m just frustrated that the only ballroom dancer along with the only tap dancer this season were cut in such an unfair way. As many have stated, this show, or at least this season, has become So You Think You Can Dance Contemporary.

I remember back in the days of season 1-3 when ballroom dancers and ballroom routines were such an integral part of the show. Snow and Artem of season 1, Heidi, Benji, and Dmitry of season 2, and Lacey, Anya, and Pasha of season 3 – all fantastic dancers that were given the chance to showcase their versatility. But now, with season 8, after only the first elimination no ballroom dancers remain.

Sigh. Writing this has relieved me of some sadness at Iveta’s untimely departure, but still, it bites. I’m not sure if I’ll continue watching this season, though some talent remains. Hopefully Iveta’s time on So You Think You Can Dance has supplied her with opportunities to advance her career as a phenomenal dancer.

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Summer/ 10,000 views/ So You Think You Can Dance Season 8

So this post is a huge personal update, including some stuff about So You Think You Can Dance season 8.

First off, summer has arrived! As most of my readers know, I’m in high school – I took my last exams today and now I’m free for a few months. Not free, exactly…

I want to be active this summer, so here are some of my plans:
– Volunteer at my local library a couple hours every week (like I’ve been doing)
– Catch up on my reading, keep up with my goal to read 100 books this year
– Volunteer as a CIT (Counselor-In-Training) at a day camp for young children for two weeks
– Participate in a tennis camp for two or three weeks, and stay in shape through running the rest of the summer
– Study for the SAT, especially math
– Write more blog posts, short stories, and possibly start a novel
– Enjoy my cruise trip that will take place in late July
-… and more! Summer homework, hanging out with friends, etc.

Gone with the Wind. So long, yet so worth it.

This blog reached 10,000 views a couple of days ago, so thank you so to all my subscribers and commenters for the support as well as those who just drop in to read a post or two. It’s really appreciated. This blog has served as a special and fantastic way to express myself, my opinions, and share what I think about a myriad of subjects.

Finally, So You Think You Can Dance season eight is underway! SYTYCD is literally the only television show I watch, and I always enjoy cheering for my favorites as they rock the dance floor (and imitating them… poorly). Lady Gaga is going to make an appearance as a guest judge later on in the season – I’m looking forward to the constructive criticism she’ll give the contestants. Here are my two current favorites of season eight:

Iveta Lukosuite! While I was slightly disappointed there would only be one dancer specializing in ballroom this year, her fierceness and experience make up for it. Image via FOX.

Yeah, he has a bullet in his arm, that's cool. But dang, he's HOT. Marko Germar is a competitor to watch out for this season. Image via FOX.

What are your plans for the summer? Anything noteworthy? Also, if you watch So You Think You Can Dance, who are your favorite contestants this season?