Seriously? OMG! WTF?

Natalie Fotopoulos and Ivan Koumeav could be the happiest losers in reality TV history.The constantly giggling duo, who narrowly missed making the Top 4 after being voted off So You Think You Can Dance last week, actually seem relieved."I was really ready — I packed my bags Monday night," says Koumeav, an 18-year-old college graduate. "I’m really excited because this is the first time in my life when my schedule is completely open to whatever."Fotopoulos, 22, also doesn’t seem too disappointed to have been kicked off the series by American viewers."I’m happy — it feels like a burden has been lifted off my shoulders," she says, adding she can’t get over how much support strangers have shown her through their votes and in public."People know who we are and we can’t get over the fact that we are, sort of, famous. It hasn’t sunk in that we were on television and people were watching."Fotopoulos, a dance teacher from Florida, says her only concern now is her injured knee — the result of years of dancing."I just recently heard from the chiropractor that I’m going to have to probably look at, the ickiest word, surgery," she says."It’s messed up and there’s some fluid in my knee that has to be drained. So, everybody just cross your fingers and pray that doesn’t have to happen. I’m not missing this (So You Think You Can Dance) tour."While Fotopoulos says she deserved to go home this week because her performances had been "lacking" over the past two or three weeks, Koumeav is just thrilled to have made it to the final six."I came in not ready for this competition and that first week you could see that I wasn’t."I’m really, really glad that I got a second chance," says Koumeav, the only contestant to ever make judge Mary Murphy cry due to the beauty of a performance."I owe this whole competition and how far I went to Allison (Holker)."She constantly pushed me to become better and that’s what, I think, helped me the most."Koumeav, a hip-hop specialist from Seattle, says he hopes his success on the show will motivate other male dancers to follow his lead, especially those who don’t have support from their parents."My dad wasn’t a big dance fan … but he called me after a show one day and said, ‘I’m really proud of you.’"I’m glad they used that on the show because so many kids who dance have fathers who don’t support them at all."I want them to see it’s OK — someday their fathers will come around."

Jam! 

Wow! I did not know how bad Natalie’s knee was until this interview. They seem two like really sweet sincere people. 

These are the new, surprise stars of the pop-culture world.They are young, attractive and hard-bodied. That part isn’t the surprise.They don’t — for now, at least — sing or act or pitch or pass. Still, this summer’s "So You Think You Can Dance" on Fox, has given them a collection of screaming teen fans."It’s all about inspiration, (doing) something positive with our lives," said Ryan Rankine, 20, who reached the final eight before being ousted Thursday. "Our art form we chose is dance."That isn’t the usual teen choice. "I was made fun of a lot, because I was a dancer," said Benji Schwimmer, 22, who’s in the final six. "We were pretty much thrown in lockers, that type of thing." Now they get cheers. Schwimmer said a former bully even sent him an E-mail, apologizing.In its first year, "Dance" was a modest success; for this second year, its Nielsen ratings have increased 19 percent, putting the show into the top five. The finals Aug. 9 and 16 are expected to score big.So far, it’s tough to predict who will be in those finals. The most recent viewers’ votes brought some quick jolts

• Among the men, Rankine — with his intense background in classical and modern dance — was ousted. Travis Wall, 18, was also in the bottom two; Schwimmer and Ivan Koumaev, 18, weren’t.

• Among the women, Allison Holker — a spectacular beauty at 18 — was ousted. Natalie Fotopoulos, 22, was in the bottom two; Heidi Groskreutz, 24, and Donyelle Jones, 27, weren’t.

These people vary sharply in experience and in style. Schwimmer, for instance, grew up around his parents’ dance studio in California. "My training consists of mostly West Coast swing since I was a fetus," he said. Groskreutz is his cousin and knows all about that studio. "That’s where we danced, growing up," she said.
Fotopoulos — whose mother is a dancer in Tampa, Fla. — has been dancing since she was 2. Wall grew up around his mom’s studio in Virginia Beach, Va.Even as a kid, Wall already was dancing in national commercials and competitions. He was in Broadway’s "Music Man" revival, dancing in the chorus and understudying as Winthrop. When he auditioned for "Dance," he was staying with his friends Nick Lazzarini and Melody Lascayanga, last summer’s "Dance" champion and runner-up.Jones, by comparison, had a sort of dance-free childhood. "I started in college when I was 18," she said. "That was when I really got interested in it. … When I first started, I was dancing 15 to 20 hours a week."Rankine grew up in Brooklyn, where his mom has a hair salon. He started dance at 8 and joined Creative Outlook Dance Theatre at 13. He’s gone on to Dance Theatre of Harlem, San Francisco Ballet, Miami City Ballet and more. While Rankine struggled to learn hip-hop, Koumaev — wborn in Russia — grew up dancing that style. For any other style, he said, he has to simply throw himself into it."It’s committing to the steps," Koumaev said. Other dancers also have styles they struggle with. For instance

• Wall fell into the bottom two last week after his quick-step performance. He said he has trouble with "anything ballroom; you name it — fox trot, quick step, salsa."

• Groskreutz had trouble earlier with the Cuban rumba. "It was all drums," she said. "I couldn’t figure out exactly which accents they wanted us to use."

Their styles may vary, but the dancers have a few things in common. All are energetic and exuberant. And many of the guys found that dance wasn’t an easy route to popularity. The exception is Wall. "I was always the popular kid in a small town," Wall said. "I could (do acrobatics) and tumble and they thought that was the coolest thing ever, like putting my head between my butt and stuff."Schwimmer said he, Rankine and Koumaev have swapped stories about meeting bullies."We wanted to punch, (but) we were just, like, pointing our toes, trying to kick someone," Schwimmer said.

The Journal News 

This is a great article and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did! 

Leonardo DiCaprio is reportedly dating a British TV presenter.The ‘Titanic’ star has been spotted enjoying several dates with blonde Cat Deeley, who shot to fame by presenting British music show ‘CD UK’ and America’s ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ The 31-year-old – who was recently said to have rekindled his romance with Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen – is said to be smitten with Deeley’s natural beauty and sexy accent.  A source was quoted in Britain’s Daily Star newspaper as saying: "Leo was attracted by Cat’s fresh-faced looks and English accent."She looks very different from an identikit Los Angeles girl" The Aviator’ star is said to have first approached Deeley at a Beverly Hills restaurant, after overhearing her tell a friend she was considering posing for a nude magazine shoot.

"CHAMPIONSHIP FORMAT"

Each dancer will dance a total of 5 dances.The "Championship Show" will be taped on Monday and aired Wednesday, August 9th. The "Grand Finale Results Show" will be aired live on Wednesday, August 16th. BENJI’S CHAMPIONSHIP DANCES 
Viennese Waltz with Donyelle
Salsa with Heidi
Hip-Hop Duet with Travis
Group Dance, Solo Dance

HEIDI’S CHAMPIONSHIP DANCES  
Disco with Travis
Salsa with Benji
Broadway Duet with Donyelle
Group Dance, Solo Dance

USA Swing Net
I can not wait for Wednesday’s So You Think You Can Dance! I hope that Benji Schwimmer and Heidi Groskreutz are the final two. Oh and that Benji is the winner! You go boy! Benji! Benji! Benji

"So You Think You Can Dance" rolls out the first part of its finale (9 p.m., EDT/PDT, Wednesday, Aug. 9, Fox) with four high-steppers in tow.The winner will get $100,000 and opportunities to advance his or her career in dance. The winner will be crowned on the Aug. 16 installment."This season we’re giving (away) a car, an SUV, a $100,000 and a year’s contract, should the dancer want it, with the Celine Dion show," says executive producer Nigel Lythgoe, who is also a judge on the show."It’s already been written. We’re not sure if that’ a prize or a punishment."Last season’s winner, Nick Lazzarini, didn’t take the lush apartment in New York that he won. Instead, he took the money from it.Lazzarini joined a company out in Los Angeles, but he really hasn’t pursued the commercial dance aspect of his career yet.Season One dancer Blake McGrath will be showcased in an upcoming cable TV series.Like the finalists on "American Idol," the dancers of this show can translate their exposure into more work, either with professional dance teams or in venues such as Broadway. "Other contestants have really blown up and used their exposure from the show to continue down their path," Lythgoe says. "I think (Season Two) contestants … with this exposure … (will) be able to jump down whatever avenues they want to go down."

Knoxville News Sentinel 

I know I am going to get slammed by Benjelle fans, but if Donyelle went tonight I would not be upset. I think if she was not with Benji from day one she would’ve been out a while ago. I also think that if Travis and Heidi were together from day one it would be a much different show. Travis and Heidi brought it yesterday and so did my fave Benji, but Donnyelle seemed off especially during her solo.  Obviously I think Natalie and Ivan should go tonight, but anything can happen. All in all, all I have to say is Benji, Benji, Benji!

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