Former So You Think You Can Dance Australia host Natalie Bassingthwaite has given birth this afternoon to a baby girl.

The Daily Telegraph reports:

“Cameron McGlinchey and Nat Bass are the proud parents of a little girl, Harper Rain Sinclair McGlinchey,” publicist Mark Byrne said.

Bassingthwaighte’s daughter weighed 3.47kgs.

“She was born this afternoon,” Mr Byrne said.

“Mum and bub are both doing well and are healthy.”

Congratulations.

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In sad news popular reality dance shoe So You Think You Can Dance Australia won’t be renewed next year, meaning Season 3 will be its last.  The show struggled in the ratings this in its new time slot of Wednesday and Thursday nights.

The Daily Telegraph reveals that Fox 8 will be screening an Australian version of the show Got To Dance.

The article states:

Got To Dance will begin filming in Oz later this year, with plans for it to air on Fox 8. The latest TV dance comp will fill the void left by SYTYCD, which has been officially killed off after three series – just as we reported last month.

Currently a judge on the popular British version of Got To Dance, Garcia is tipped to headline the local version while he’s in Oz to star in the upcoming stage version of Tap Dogs.

Got To Dance will follow a competition format but unlike SYTYCD, which was open to solo dancers up to 35 years of age, groups or individuals of any age can enter.

The English version has been a solid performer here in Australia for Fox 8 and a big hit for digital channel Sky1 in the UK, attracting an average of one million viewers.

Channel 10 have not ruled out in bringing the show back. Personally I think putting it in the Sunday timeslot, plus tweak the judging panel, then it would be a ratings winner again.

Never fear the contestant’s and judges are still around with season 1 winner Jack Chambers to star in an Australian version of the musical Hairspray, choreographed by Jason Coleman, and Season 2 winner Talia Fowler currently performing in Fame.

Matt Lee is also currently tripping the light fantastic in Mary Poppins.

I hope this means that Channel Ten might think about screening the US version of the show again, as apparently this season is a cracker where ten of the contestant’s have appeared on previous seasons.

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In sad reality TV news it is looking like So You Think You Can Dance Australia may not be getting renewed for a fourth season. It did not rate well this year, however they had changed the screening night from a Sunday to a Wednesday night.

The Daily Telegraph says that nothing has been decided and there will be an announcement in October.

Also in a later article in the same paper they say one of the issues is the animosity between judges Jason Coleman and Matt Lee. Why did I not know about this? But it might explain the lack of repartee between the pair this season. Maybe because Matt stepped it up this year and took over Jason as the judge who made the relevant comments.

Anyhow I think they are being hasty, sack Bonnie and bring in new personnel plus put it back on a Sunday would easily see this sagging souffle rise again.

PS This blog post is dedicated to Neil. LOL.

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Robbie Kmetoni the 18 year old from Sydney who won Season 3 of So You Think You Can Dance Australia has decided to take the prize of touring in the US with Jason Gilkison’s Burn The Floor.

Robbie, 18 from Allawah NSW, has chosen “Burn the Floor”, saying he “couldn’t resist the idea of travelling overseas and learning from the master himself, Jason Gilkison.

The Australian Dance Theatre would have been a better fit for his contemporary style, but really who could resist going on tour.

He also has won $200,000 in prize money and he is being very lovely to his family.

“I will give more than half to my family and use the other half to go to America to do workshops for about three months. I’d also like to buy a hot car, a Jeep Wrangler I’m thinking…”

A great result for everyone.

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The opening number was brilliant for once the twitter chick from Channel Ten/or Fremantle were not over selling it.

It was a the dancers in a montage from iconic films, and just as I was wondering who choreographed, it was revealed it was Jason Gilkison – of course. He also acknowledged Matt Lee and Bonnie Lythgoe’s assistance and input with it.

Speaking of Bonnie, she has done a bit of a “Dorian Gray” and looks younger then she did three months ago when the series started. She was looking particularly funky tonight.

And if I was a betting woman this will be the last time we see her on the judging panel. I think they will change personnel next year.

I was not a fan of the top four Alice in Wonderland routine, the costumes were great but I am not a fan of hip hop. But I did like Juliet Verne’s top Ten dance.

No surprise that Phillipe was the first of the top four to be eliminated. Obviously that Daily Telegraph story about him being the favourite to win was bollocks.

The Hairspray musical looks like it is going to pop. Jason Coleman is going to be the choreographer and auditions start soon. The question is how many SYTYCDA alumni are going to be in it. I bet Ivy is definitely one.

Bonnie Lythgoe will be busy also she is going to be directing Cinderella in LA. Also Matt Lee will be in Mary Poppins in Melbourne.

No surprise that Robbie and Jessie H were top two, so the Shire vote did not cancel one of these two brilliant dancers out. It was nice to see the two best friends there.

No surprise that Robbie won, but I would have been happy with either. I am curious to know which prize he will pick. The Australian Dance Theatre is the best fit for him, but hairspray would be fun, and travelling around the US for 6 months with Jason Gilkison would be fabulous.

I am sure both Jessie and he have fantastic dance careers ahead of them.

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The Daily Telegraph had a story today that indicates that Phillipe is the favourite to take out the title of Australia’s favourite dancer on Season Three of So You Think You Can Dance Australia.

Now this is got to be bollocks I thought Robbie was the absolute favourite to win. Also I thought Phillipe would be eliminated in fourth position. But then take no notice of me I thought Ivy would struggle to make top ten…

Are the kiwi expats voting in a bloc, or is there going to be pec gate scandal, where people are voting for him because of his amazing six pack. For the record I have not. I thought he deserved top four ahead of Nick however I don’t think he deserves the title.

Also this would mean both Australian Idol and SYTYCD winners would be from New Zealand!!!

Anyway I am sure this story was planted to make sure fans keep on voting. Ker-Ching.

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I believe I am fairly fluent in WTF but most of the time tonight I had no idea what guest judge and choreographer Tyce Diorio was on about. I suspect the same goes for the dancers who started just given Tyce polite smiles.

For those who have never seen him he is a choreographer and sometimes judge on the US show. Also for Broadway nuts you may have seen him in a documentary which filmed the making of the production of A Chorus Line. He manages to to portray a very good sense of self in the few scenes he is in the film. By the way when are they going to produce A Chorus Line again in Australia again. There is enough talent here, and the set is pretty low cost. Just a ballet barre and a few mirrors.

However I did love Tyce’s top four group routine, and the judges could not stop vomiting superlatives about it and Tyce.

The top four show for me is normally the best episode of the season, and tonight was no different.

Ivy and Robbie were good in the Rhumba, as Jason Coleman highlighted Robbie was doing a great job with the lifts considering he was shorter than Ivy.

Jessie’s and Phillipe’s  jazz number by Adam William’s was really great and I thought Jessie really shone.

I think Tyce was also thinking that , but I am not sure what he meant when he was talking about Jessie taking it far far away?

Robbie and Phillipe’s hip hop routine was good I am still not convinced about Robbie as a bad arsed hip hop dancer.

The end of the routine was more enjoyable then the first half, yes girls you know what I am talking about.

Robbie and Jessie danced a contemporary routine choreographed by their former teacher Jacqui Howard it was based on Avatar, now me and Bonnie Lythgoe are the only two people in Australia who has not seen the movie, but clearly it cannot be better then that routine it was mesmerising. Matt Lee was so overwhelmed by his fellow Brent St alumni he wept.

Phillipe and Ivy’s routine choreographed by Ludwig was enjoyable, however Jason Coleman did not think it was Phillipe’s best performance.

The Squared Division routine for Jessie and Ivy  was apparently set in 3010, I was a bit depressed that even in 1000 years time that girls still dressed as hoochies. Maybe the next feminist wave had come and gone. Hoochie or not the girls did dance it well.

I found Jessie’s solo irritating with the one pointe shoe on and I thought this made her look a bit clunky. I loved Robbie’s routine and thought it had the right balance this week of emotion and tricks.

Phillipe solo was ok but I thought he needed a bit more wow factor. Considering he is going to struggle to come above fourth place I thought a few tricks may have made him stand out a bit more from the pack.

Ivy has been consistently good throughout the competition, and her solo was no exception. However I just am not sure she will have the following to take out the prize. But then I said in a post at the start of the series that she would not make top 10, how wrong I was.

I think the title is between Jessie and Robbie. I think Robbie has the edge but it should be close.

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Were people going to vote for the dancing or the dancer’s tonight? If the Australia vote for the dancing this will mean Jess S should be in the top four based on last night’s show.

I thought the girls solo’s were much stronger than the guys. They were all still in hoochie mode as they wore underwear as costumes.

I thought Robbie’s solo was particularly disappointing (RR expects to be flamed for this comment) but it was all tricks and not a lot of dancing.

Channel Ten decided to maintain the suspense of the top four by putting Robbie and Jessie through first. Ivy was the second girl through, I thought Robbie and Jessie did not look real thrilled by that.

Great news that Phillipe got through to the top four, and Nick was eliminated. Was the blonde girl in the audience they flashed to his fiance? I think it was as she had a diamond ring on the appropriate finger. Though she won’t be too thrilled that he did not really thank her in his speech. However he gave God a big thanks – but why does he presume God is a male?

Anyway the right top four occurred. Next weeks episode is going to pop as did that fantastic routine the Sydney Dance Company did tonight.

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(Image: Sunday Telegraph)

Here is the So You Think You Can Dance Australia cast at the Logies nomination breakfast at The Ivy in Sydney. Canny readers will realise that it is an unusual thing for Matt Lee to be without his usual headwear. I don’t get why he does not go sans hats on the show.

Anyway I do get why he is not being a judge on So You Think You Can Dance Ukraine, if a vignette in the Sunday Telegraph (hard copy only) is true. It stated that Matt Lee had turned down a part on the show, because he was over committed here. But it did say that choreographer Adam Williams might take up the role. I will be surprised if it is true, as he they would need an interpreter, and I am not sure that would be great TV.

UPDATE: Matt Lee confirmed for me on Twitter that he did turn it down, but only because of his Mary Poppins commitments.

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The way people were tweeting fear and loathing on twitter tonight made me  think either Jesse H or Robbie had been eliminated. I was not surprised by the bottom four, Carly, Jess, Keiran and Phillipe.

I know people thought Jess was going to go again, but it was time for Carly’s to walk the plank. I was disappointed that Keiran got flicked, but I don’t think it will hinder his career.

Phillipe may get to go top having drawn Jessie next week, but it will be tough as Nick and Robbie have big fan bases.

The other couples are Jess and Robbie, and Ivy and Nick.

I loved Bonnie Lythoges outfit tonight. I thought keeping her boobs fully covered made her look funky and younger. However I cannot even speak about the orange atrocity that Jason Coleman was wearing.

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