SYTYCD Season 11: Dave Scott

How did we get Dave Scott on the show? Chloe ran into him out and about in Hollywood. He willingly gave up his contact info and I sent him an email. Within two hours, we had our guest!

I am really proud that we were able to book three choreographers in three different styles this season: Contemporary, Broadway and Hip Hop. I am praying that SYTYCD gets picked up for another season because I finally connected with NappyTabs. I interviewed them for my upcoming article in the December issue of Dance Spirit. So let's hope we get a Season 12!

Next week, I will be alone…Chloe and Jake all have other commitments, so I get the boys all to myself.  Join me for the finale with Serge Onik, Teddy Coffey and Emilio Dosal.

If you missed this week's episode, you can watch it below:

SYTYCD Season 11: Spencer Liff

Can I tell you how much we love Spencer Liff? I can't rave enough. He was our first big guest back on SYTYCD on AfterBuzz TV during Season 9 and we are thrilled he comes back each season. His honest and constructive comments on the contestants was so helpful for us to listen to. We are down to the Top 4 and he explained why each contestant should be there.

There is a lot of Zack love brewing at just the right moment. Don't forget to vote, vote, vote for your favorite contestant. It's so important for next week and the final results on Sept. 3.

Next week, our guest is choreographer Dave Scott.

If you missed the show, watch it here:

SYTYCD Season 11: Makenzie Dustman and Jasmine Harper

We've had pretty good luck with scheduling All-Stars this season. I wish I could say that I carefully planned this out, but the timing has been impeccable. We were supposed to have Courtney Galiano on this week along with Jasmine Harper and Makenzie Dustman, but her shoot was running late. We will be working to reschedule her within the last three episodes. Can you believe the season is almost done?

We had a lot to discuss with the untimely exit of Tanisha Belnap and Rudy Abreu, the addition of Allison Holker to DWTS and everyone's thoughts on Nick Lazzarini from last week's show. I can't wait to hear what you all think of the show this week.

Next week is Spencer Liff. I can't wait to get another choreographer in the studio.

Watch Jasmine Harper and Makenzie Dustman on AfterBuzz TV.

SYTYCD Season 11: Mandy Moore

This might be my favorite show all season. It was such an honor to have the Emmy-nominated Mandy Moore in our studios. She gave us a candid look at the contestants and what goes on in those rehearsal rooms. For my DWTS fans, we will try and have her on in the fall since she brings so much to the table. 

A couple of fun things we learned:

--They are not asking the choreographers' opinions on the contestants this year.

--Music clearance is challenging. Sometimes contestants find out the night before that their solo music cannot be used. Stressful!

--Mandy choreographs DWTS much differently than SYTYCD because she isn't ballroom trained. She said she relies upon Sasha, Emma, Jenna and Val to help her out in the studio.

--She also gives her thoughts on Shania Twain possibly joining the show…remember, Mandy choreographed her Vegas show!

Next week's guests are Nick Lazzarini, Season 1, and Jaimie Goodwin, Season 3.

SYTYCD Season 11: Audrey Case

Season 9's Audrey Case was back in the house! It was so good to see her and get the inside scoop on Choreographers' Showcase for SYTYCD. Don't know what we are talking about? Make sure to watch the episode below.

We talked a lot about choreographers being accountable for their work as much as the contestants are each week. Nigel Lythgoe had no problem saying some to Benji Schwimmer and Spencer Liff this week. Do you agree?

We also chatted about Malene Ostergaard's exit and Nigel's comments to her. I think we all agreed it was a bit harsh, but I hope she realizes this is just the beginning of good things to come…just ask Brittany Cherry!

SYTYCD Season 11: Fik-Shun

Fik-Shun was a surprise, last-minute guest this week and he didn't disappoint. We confirmed him at 4 p.m. PT, that's how last minute it was. I knew he was in town this week, but he had other commitments and he adjusted his schedule to come on the air with us.

The past two seasons, we haven't had guests during the audition rounds and now I realize that we should have. The insight that Tiffany Maher and Fik-Shun provide us over the last two episodes gave us an inside look on what a challenge this show truly is.

If you missed the episode, watch it below and don't forget to come back next week when our guest is Lauren Froderman!

Is This a Partial List of Season 11's SYTYCD Top 20?

This week's show with Season 9's Tiffany Maher.

Warning: Spoilers Ahead! UPDATED AS OF JUNE 24!!

I was handed this list today from a source who has come through for me in the past multiple times. I have not been able to cross-verify the list yet, but I thought it might be fun to ponder if these dancers will be a part of the live shows in two weeks for Season 11 of SYTYCD.

All of the dancers listed had strong auditions, so I think we will definitely see many (if not all?) of these names make it past the Green Mile. >



Here we go:

1. Serge Onik

2. Tanisha Belnap

3. Rick Ubeda

4. Jessica Richens

5. Malene Ostergaard

6. Marcquet Hill (One source says yes, one source says no.) UPDATE: Hearing he's in.

7. Brooklyn Fullmer

8. Emily James

9. Nick Garcia

10. Rudy Abreu

11. Emilio Dosal (Remember, Aaron Turner replaced him when he was injured last season!!!!!)

12. Carly Blaney

13. Casey Askew

14. Bridget Whitman

15. Valerie Rockey

16. Teddy Coffey

17. Jourdan Epstein

18. Stanley Glover

19. Zachary Everheart

20. Jacque LeWarne (LAST NAME finally!!!!)

I am also hearing two fan favorites, Justine Lutz and Cristina Moya-Palacios did not make it to Top 20. I was told Justine made it to Green Mile before being cut and Cristina was cut in Round 2.

If you missed our episode today with the adorable Tiffany Maher from Season 9, watch it below:

SYTYCD Season 11: Kent Boyd and Rose Marziale

It was so much fun to have guests during audition rounds for SYTYCD. We normally wait until we hit the Top 20. Thanks for Rose Marziale and Kent Boyd for joining us and giving us the inside scoop on their short film, It Remains. While Kent didn't officially confirm it on-camera, he is headed off to shoot Teen Beach Movie 2. Mark my words, he's part of the cast.

Tell us what you think of the auditions in Chicago and Los Angeles. Are you enjoying them or are you ready to just get to the Top 20 like we are? 

VIDEO: 2014 Oscar Nominations: Snubs and Surprises

What a day! I got up a 1:30 a.m., hit the Academy at 3 a.m., enjoyed the surprises of the Oscar nominations and then wrote articles, edited a video and did seven radio hits about what happened today. A long, but gratifying day!

Take a look at the video for Starpulse where I got insider opinions on the nominations from film critic Leonard Maltin and Deadline.com's Pete Hammond. They both brought interesting perspective on what this year's nominations had to offer.

 With camerawoman Courtney Walden

Of course, the other big reveal was the dress! Congratulations to Lisa Kay for picking out a really cute Eliza J. dress. Major bonus goes to the fact that the dress had unexpected pockets. Total score! It was the perfect place to hide my iPhone. Even Leonard complimented me on the outfit. I call that a win! Lisa gets a $25 gift card to the store of her choice.

You might recognize this face if you watch SYTYCD on AfterBuzz TV. Chloé West was our production assistant for the day. 

VIDEO: The Beat MS Dance Walk: Thank You!

A huge thank you to our supporters who helped us raise money for The Beat MS Dance Walk. Chloe West and I were inspired by Courtney Galiano's dedication and courage during her visit to our SYTYCD AfterBuzz TV show this summer. It was a fun day and we wanted to capture what we did with a lot of shaky camera work, but a whole lot of enthusiasm.

Thank you, Kaitlyn, Lois, Stacey, Michelle, my mom, and one mysterious donor.....we appreciate your generosity!

Here's the video...and stick around to the end for a few familiar SYTYCD faces!

To Donate to a great cause: The Beat MS site.

AfterBuzz TV SYTYCD: Alex Wong

Oh, what a show!  I am loving this season of SYTYCD on AfterBuzz TV because none of us agree. We all hold some really different opinions...and I like it.  Lest you think we don't like each other, don't worry, we all get along off the air. After we finish the show each week, the four of us actually hang out at the AfterBuzz studios and chat about absolutely everything. It's so much fun working with this team!

The controversy about the eliminations is going to continue. I don't think Nigel is going to change the format because it has us all talking: fans, the media and former contestants. It makes for good TV even if we don't agree with Nigel and how cruel the elimination seems.  Nigel isn't really a warm and fuzzy guy. He wants to produce a show with ratings.

We have been discussing possible solutions over in the YouTube comments. "WhatFC" came up with a great idea:  Reveal the Top 3 at the beginning of the show and then have the dancers perform their partnered routines for the save. Get rid of the "Dance for your Life" solos and make that night's dances truly count. What do you guys think of that idea?  Let me know in the comments below.

Alex Wong was another great guest who offered some honest comments about the show and how unfair the eliminations are this year. We are excited to see him back as an All-Star later in the season.

Finally, I saw this moment in the show and I could not stop giggling. Did we bore you, Chloe?  Awesome screen cap! It's at the 16:18 mark when we talked about criteria for eliminations. Chloe knows Nigel doesn't care, so why should she? ;)

If you missed the show you can watch it below or download it in iTunes here. Remember, we have a list of upcoming guests for this season, so get excited!  Season 10 is going to be epic.

AfterBuzz TV SYTYCD: Chehon Wespi-Tschopp

Photo courtesy of Chehon Wespi-Tschopp

We had so much fun having Chehon on the show on Wednesday. Listen to how perceptive his thoughts are on some of the dancers and choreography. You are definitely watching a budding choreographer and director...mark my words!

See our official in studio photo with Chehon here >>

We had a lot of questions about Chehon's dating life and you see his reaction to the question when I asked it. Yep, comes with the territory of being a good-looking guy, but I totally respect his privacy. It's actually a very smart move, in my opinion.

Photo courtesy of Chehon Wespi-Tschopp

We didn't have time to get to all of the questions, but I know a lot of you are excited about his new movie, East Side Story, with Witney Carson. Hopefully, we will have both of them back on the show later in the season.

If you missed this week's show, you can watch it below or download the podcast here.