DWTS Season 17: Week 2 Preview

I hope you all like the photo.

Yes, Henry Byalikov is our guest on Tuesday. Many of you saw the announcement on Twitter earlier this week and you've been eagerly awaiting this post. It's been a busy week, but I finally had a free minute to get this up.

The wonderful thing about having Henry on the show is that it is great timing. He and Sharna Burgess are choreographing the opening number this week, so we will get the inside scoop on how it all came together.

The whole team is expected to be in studio this week: Anna, me, Jake and Suri.

Time to get those questions in! Fire away in the comments section below. We will see you all on Tuesday at 8pm PT on AfterBuzz TV.

My Thoughts on Derek Hough

This number alone should win him the Emmy

I have always maintained that I believe that Derek Hough is going to be one of the defining choreographers of his generation. I don't take that statement lightly. As someone who has been a student of dance history, think of the names you would put in that category: George Balanchine, Agnes DeMille, Jerome Robbins, Bob Fosse, Michael Bennett, Martha Graham. There are more, but it's not a list of thousands or even hundreds. I don't say that about any other pro on the show.

With a statement like that, it should be understood that you also have to be a great dancer and teacher in order to be classified as a "defining choreographer of a generation." You can't just be one thing.

On AfterBuzz TV this week, we were talking about Val and Derek and their strengths. If I am going to pick the one quality that makes Derek stand out on the show...yep, it's choreography. For Val, it's teaching. Does it mean they don't have the other qualities? Nope.

We are a show about dance, talking about dancers and why we love it so much. We give opinions that you won't always agree with, but the one thing we all agree upon is that we love dance. I'm one of the hosts of the show and as a part of my job, I have to balance my love for Derek's work with my appreciation and support for what other pros on DWTS bring to the table.

Come Sunday, I hope it's Derek who is holding that Emmy.

Feel free to add your thoughts in the comments below. I will respond to all comments here, but I'm going to keep the debate off of Twitter. Thanks, guys!  See you next week with our guest Henry Byalikov...who is also choreographing this week's opening number on DWTS with Sharna Burgess.

AfterBuzz TV DWTS: Julz Tocker

Jake DuPree, Julz Tocker, Kristyn Burtt

The day is finally here! We are back in studio for Season 17 of DWTS. I thought Julz Tocker was a really fun first guest. I was so happy he was at the show the night before because he gave us insight that we wouldn't have normally had. With all of the changes, I think it was an important aspect to talk about.

A couple of things that I want to address from our show last night:
1. Tyne Stecklein: I've seen the forums. I've seen what everyone has said. I want to take a different approach to talking about the situation. It's her first year. The producers wanted her. She danced with MJ, so she can dance. Ballroom is not her background, but look....she's trying in front of 16.2 million of us on live television. Let's give her our support.

2. Troupe: I think we are seeing how important the troupe is for training, choreography and learning the rhythm of the show. The transition to pro was much easier for Sharna, Emma and Sasha...discuss.

3. Choreography: This season, I really want to hold the pros even more accountable for what they are putting out there each week. It's why some of the cast members have been nominated for Emmys. We made it a part of our discussion each week on SYTYCD for Season 10, so I would like to discuss it more on AfterBuzz TV this season. Do you agree?

Thanks for all of your support. We are so glad to be back with all of you. I'm working hard on a guest for next week!
 

DWTS Season 17: Week 1 Preview

We are just days away from the kickoff episode of Season 17 of Dancing With the Stars. It's been a long summer without you, but a big "thanks" to those who joined me and Jake for Season 10 of SYTYCD. We had a blast with some amazing guests. We are hoping to keep that tradition going with this season of DWTS.

The entire crew is back on Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. PT this season: me, Suri Serano, Jake DuPree, Anna Trebunskaya...and one small addition: Baby Bump Trebunskaya! We are so excited for our co-host and her exciting new adventure.

Our first guest is locked and ready to go, so get those questions in for Julian Tocker, one of Season 16's troupe members. Questions go in the comments section below.

You can watch the show live here on Tuesday at 8 p.m. PT on AfterBuzz TV.

Our guest list is published here so you can mark your calendars for your DWTS favorites.

AfterBuzz TV SYTYCD: Neil Haskell

Ahhh, the season is over. After a lackluster Season 9, I thought it was going to be difficult to get revved up for Season 10. Boy, was I wrong. This has been one of the most exciting seasons in a long time. While I have been in the Jasmine camp for a long time, I am still happy for Amy. The Top 10 contestants are all incredibly talented and I think we are going to see many of them working post-tour.

I want to thank all of the SYTYCD guests who joined us this season because they made our show extra-special. Besides our epic tWitch and Allison Holker episode, Spencer Liff continues to be one of my favorite guests. I am excited to watch his climb to success as he choreographs his first Broadway show Hedwig and the Angry Inch with Neil Patrick Harris.

Team AfterBuzz TV will also be supporting Courtney Galiano's Beat MS Dance Walk on Sept. 22. If you would like to support us, here is our donation page. A big thanks to Kaitlyn and Lois for their generous donations. We appreciate it!

Thanks for a great season! Let me know in the comments below who your favorite AfterBuzz TV guest was for Season 10.

AfterBuzz TV SYTYCD: Final Results Preview

I cannot believe we are down to the very last show of So You Think You Can Dance. Season 10 has been such a great ride for all of us on AfterBuzz TV. Before we bid goodbye and before Jake and I head off to Dancing With the Stars for Season 17, we have one final guest for you. It's another fantastic All-Star from Season 3, Neil Haskell. So get those final questions in for our last show.

If you missed the fan questions from tWitch and Allison Holker, click here.

Most importantly, who do you think will win this week? Fik-Shun or Aaron? Jasmine or Amy?

Also, the AfterBuzz TV crew is supporting Courtney Galiano's Beat MS Dance Walk on Sept. 22. If you would like to donate to the cause, you can find our team page here.

SYTYCD All-Stars tWitch & Allison Holker Answer Fan Questions

We didn't have time for the fan Q&A segment this week, so I've uploaded the audio recording we did with tWitch and Allison Holker after the show. They kindly stayed and answered every single one of your questions...that's how awesome they are!

Listen to the segment below:



Here is the piece that tWitch was talking about from Season 4, Top 4 with Courtney Galiano. Now that you have the inside scoop on what really happened, the ending is pretty funny. They did a great job of hiding their momentary confusion.



If you missed last week's SYTYCD AfterBuzz TV show, you can watch it here.

Also, the AfterBuzz TV crew is supporting Courtney Galiano's Beat MS Dance Walk on Sept. 22. If you would like to donate to the cause, you can find our team page here.

AfterBuzz TV SYTYCD: tWitch & Allison Holker

Oh, what a night! This was a dream come true for us at AfterBuzz TV. We were so excited to have tWitch and Allison in the studio. I wish I could share all of the texts between me, Jake, Chloe and AJ. It was kind of like Christmas morning when you were three years old.

I'm here to tell you that these two are the real deal: nice, funny, totally in love and incredibly talented. They are great ambassadors of dance and they represent SYTYCD so well.

We ran out of time for fan questions, so I audio-recorded them. I hope to have it up here on my site by this weekend. Stay tuned!

One thing you might not know about our group of hosts is that we all really like each other. After each show we hang out in the studio on the couches and chat about anything and everything. Last night, tWitch and Allison joined us for over an hour. We had a blast and I promise you...we were loud!  It was a fun night.

If you missed the show last night, watch it below. One more show left. Next week, it's All-Star Neil Haskell.

If you haven't seen Allison and Derek Hough's Emmy-nominated dance pieces, click here.

Dance Chat With Kristyn Burtt: Episode 1

It's such a big dance week, I couldn't resist! Let's talk DWTS, SYTYCD and Derek Hough! I hit a few hot topics on the two dance shows. Watch the whole show or drop in on your favorite segment. Here's how the show breaks down:

SYTYCD: 00:20
DWTS: 03:32
Derek Hough: 10:05

And the articles I refer to...here are the links:
Christina Milian Instagram ScreenCap: http://bit.ly/15oaAAX
Travis Wall Article: http://bit.ly/136WbLK
Sonya Tayeh Article: http://bit.ly/17vDyTw

Don't forget to join the chat and share your comments below. Let me know if you want me to do these regularly and what hot topics you want to discuss.

AfterBuzz TV SYTYCD: Courtney Galiano

It was ladies' night last night on SYTYCD on AfterBuzz TV. We were excited to have Courtney Galiano back on our show after joining us last season. It was really important that she talked about her MS diagnosis and her charity because she's really an inspiration to so many. Even with obstacles, she's getting out there and living her dream of dancing. 

I know a lot of the fans were upset that Paul was voted off. I was, too. I sometimes feel like reality shows have a bit of producer manipulation behind the scenes and this was one of those times. Courtney feels like you should only be able to win in one country and I know she isn't alone. It will be interesting to see if they change the rules for next season. I loved Paul's journey on the season. The one thing we shouldn't be sad about is the fact that he will be working a lot. We will see him again soon.

With the Top 4 officially announced, who do you think will win? We haven't seen the final dances yet, but is Nigel right about Twitter popularity? What do you think?

Let me know in the comments below.

For more information on Courtney's MS Dance Walk on Sept. 22, click here.

DWTS Season 17: Initial Cast Thoughts

If my Twitter feed was an indication of what is to come for Season 17 of Dancing With the Stars, I am in for a busy fall. TMZ leaked a few of the celeb names today: Valerie Harper, Leah Remini, Elizabeth Berkeley, Snooki, Amber Riley, and Christina Milian. I've said it before and I will say it again, TMZ is pretty good about fact checking, so this list should be your six female celebs for the season.

Once it was revealed that Tristan MacManus was paired with Valerie, the tweets began. Many of the tweets were people who were angry that he was matched with a 74-year-old woman battling terminal brain cancer. Really? Doctors told her she would be dead by June and miraculously, she's still with us and is tackling DWTS. I don't know about you, but that's kind of awesome...and inspirational.

Re: Tristan--The gift of working with someone bravely fighting a terminal illness is greater than a mirrored ball trophy. #DWTS
— Kristyn Burtt (@KristynBurtt) August 28, 2013

Look, I get it: We all love Tristan and we want to see him win. It was disappointing to see him have to drop out in Season 16 when Dorothy Hamill was injured. Then it was a bummer to see him injured during the finale and he couldn't have one last dance with her. (Bravo to Henry Byalikov for stepping in!)

I'm just not going to get my panties in a bunch over this. I'm going to look at it from the Sharna Burgess School of Opportunity. I love what she did with Andy Dick last season, it was fun and moving to watch his journey. I'm going to take that same approach with Tristan and Valerie. I have a lot of faith in his talent, don't you?

So let's kick off this season on a positive note. I know you guys won't always agree with me, but I love to hear your opinions as long as it's handled with mutual respect. I love a good dance debate!

Here's to a great Season 17. I'm excited by the cast so far and we've already booked our first guest for DWTS on AfterBuzz TV. Hooray!

I would love to hear from you....hit me up with your thoughts and opinions in the comments below.

AfterBuzz TV SYTYCD: Top 6 Preview

I think the cat is out of the bag and most of you know who are guest is this week. Yep, Courtney Galiano! She's returning to our show for the second time after making a visit last season. Courtney's story is amazing and she's an inspiration to us all. If you missed her All-Star appearance with Tucker on SYTYCD last week, make sure to watch it before our show on Wednesday.

Courtney recently has been a principal dancer on VH1's Hit the Floor and helped organize the upcoming 1st Annual The Beat MS Dance Walk on September 22. There's a lot to talk about! So get those questions in for Courtney at the comments below.

Watch us on Wednesday on AfterBuzz TV at 9pm PT right here.

AfterBuzz TV SYTYCD: Audrey Case & Matthew Kazmierczak

This competition is tough and getting tougher. In the YouTube comments, someone asked me who I thought would make the Top 4. This is when the fan votes are strong and the judges don't have any say.

Here are my Top 4 picks: (based off of FAN votes, not who I want in the Top 4.)

Men:                        Ladies:
1. Paul                     1. Amy
2. Aaron                  2. Hayley

Sadly, my picks send Fik-Shun and Jasmine home. If my picks turn out to be true, I hate the thought that Jasmine is going home. All three women are incredible dancers. I would prefer to see Amy and Jasmine as the last two standing. On the men's side, if I am correct, I think it's time for Fik-Shun to go home. He had an incredible run and I've really enjoyed watching him on the show this season.

A huge thanks to Audrey Case and Matthew Kazmierczak for joining us in studio this week. I love that they are still friends after their season. Having former contestants on the show always gives us more and more perspective on SYTYCD. The stress, the excitement and the injuries are all a big part of each season, so I'm happy we've had some great guests to give us that insight.

If you missed our show last night, watch it below:

Don't forget to let me know your thoughts on this week's show in the comments below!



Photo Credit: Audrey Case

SYTYCD on AfterBuzz TV: Top 8 Preview

I cannot believe we are down to the last four weeks on SYTYCD. This season flew by for me because I have really enjoyed the competition and the talent this year. As you know, I've talked a lot about our guests this season and how much they've added to our shows this year. So, I'm so excited to announce that this week's guest is Audrey Case.

She was a Top 10 contestant on Season 9 and you may have remember her for her routine with tWitch by Dave Scott or one of my favorites with her partner Matthew Kazmierczak by Travis Wall.  The "Unchained Melody" piece was picked for the finale and for the tour.

UPDATE: So I received a text from Audrey last night asking if she could bring a friend with her on the show.  This is who she is bringing...

Yep, Matthew Kazmierczak! Get those questions in for Matthew, too! It's going to be a great night on AfterBuzz TV.

So, get those questions in for Audrey and I will see you all on Wednesday on AfterBuzz TV at 9 p.m. PT. Watch here.

AfterBuzz TV SYTYCD: Lindsay Nelko

What a night! So much to talk about and so little time. I am thrilled that this season of SYTYCD has brought such incredible talent. These kids are going to work a lot once they are off the show and done with the tour.

Lindsay Nelko was a great addition to the show. I wish we could have done an after, after show where we talked about her mentors Brian Friedman and Desmond Richardson. It was actually Richardson who recommended her for the show, but it's Friedman's The Pulse tour that got her noticed. We also had a personal discussion about being a young artist in the business and honoring commitments including making sure you understand the business part as much as the creative part. It was fascinating.

I want to thank Shannon Mather for talking to me on the phone about how she felt about her piece and what she on the show this week. It really does seem that "Medicine" is a popular piece for choreographers this year. She and Travis Wall are fine, so it's not a controversy. I know she really wants to choreograph for the show, so let's support Shannon and Travis. I think we cleared everything up on her end for the viewers.

Shannon Mather's Piece
Kristin McQuaid Piece
Travis Wall Piece

Finally, we have some great guests for the rest of the season. I hope you join us through our last show on Sept. 11. I know Jake and I will be rolling right into Season 17 of DWTS which will begin on Sept. 17 at 8pm PT.

You can download the podcast here.

SYTYCD on AfterBuzz TV Top 10 Preview

These last few weeks of SYTYCD are going to be so exciting. We have our Top 10 and the talent is just incredible. All of our guests are booked through the finale, so stop by and take a look. You might like what you see, we have all worked really hard to get the best guests possible this season for AfterBuzz TV.

I am thrilled that we were able to book Lindsay Nelko because she is one of the new emerging choreographers from Season 10. It's exciting to see new talent and Lindsay had an impressive debut this season. If you didn't see the number she choreographed for Paul and Makenzie, watch it below. The number is just gorgeous and it's one of the reasons I have been shocked Makenzie has seen so many Bottom 3 placements this year.

So watch us LIVE on Wednesday night at 9 p.m. PT on AfterBuzzTV here.

If you have questions for Lindsay, please put them in the comments below. See you tomorrow!

SYTYCD on AfterBuzz TV: Top 14 Preview

What a great weekend for dance! If you missed some of my Dizzy Feet Foundation Gala photos, be sure to check them out here. I've been working hard on booking some good guests, so be sure to check out the updated list here. There are two dancers in particular who I sweating over to get into our studios. If it happens, I am going to make sure Chloe, AJ and Jake buy me a cocktail after the show.

Our guest this week is one of my favorites from last season, Spencer Liff. He's so talented as a choreographer and just an incredibly nice guy. I hope you are all following his career because he star is on the rise in the Broadway world. He also just choreographed a number honoring Chita Rivera at the Dizzy Feet Gala.

Get those questions for Spencer...you know what to do, questions go in the comments section below.

I will see you all on Wednesday at 9pm PT on AfterBuzz TV. Watch here.

SYTYCD on AfterBuzz TV : Mollee Gray

I love Mollee Gray! She's so sweet and I think she gave us the best insight on the choreographers and how they work in the studio. Mollee talked quite a bit about Travis Wall and Dee Caspary's process in the studio. It was fascinating to hear more from that side of SYTYCD.

The one topic that keeps coming up is why Alexis is getting pushed through each week. I'm not sure I understand why or how. Her fans are clearly supportive, but we all seem a bit baffled by it. I have to say that I love this season because there are so many good contenders. While we all may think Fikshun and Amy are going to win, you can't count out Aaron, Jasmine, Paul or Makenzie at this juncture.

Finally, Carly Rae Jepsen was one of the worst judges ever on the show. She joins the list with Zooey Deschanel for me. I polled a few of you on Twitter and several of you also mentioned Megan Mullally, Carmen Electra, Katie Holmes and Rob Marshall as your least favorite guest judges. Did we miss anyone? Let me know in the comments below.

P.S. If you came here to find out if Mollee is dating Kent Boyd, the answer is "no." They are great friends, but they are not dating. I hope that clears up any confusion.

If you missed the show, you can watch it here or download it on iTunes here.

SYTYCD on AfterBuzz TV: Top 16 Preview

We are back! After a long week off, it's time to get back on the SYTYCD bandwagon. This week we have a really exciting guest with Season 6's Mollee Gray. Not only will she be bringing her SYTYCD expertise, we are going to ask her all about her role in Disney Channel's original movie Teen Beach Movie.

So, get those questions ready!  You know what to do...questions go in the comments below.

AJ is on vacation this week, so I will be leading the show alongside Chloe and Jake.

See you all on Wednesday at 9 p.m. PT on AfterBuzz TV.  Watch here. 

AfterBuzz TV SYTYCD: Sharna Burgess

This was such a fun show. I cannot tell you how much I love Sharna Burgess as a guest. She is honest, funny and forthcoming with her insight. I always appreciate it because I know we are getting the truth when she talks about a controversial issue. The best part of Sharna though....she's nice.  I just like the gal. So, you will see her again when DWTS starts up again in the fall. Thanks, Sharna!

In watching the show back today, there were two things I noticed:
1. Judges: With all of the excitement around Paula Abdul judging, we barely mentioned her. In fact, Erin Andrews received more mentions than Paula. While the honor of having Paula on the panel is a big deal, I am not sure her judging comments resonated that much with us.  What do you think?

See our pre-show Vine video >>

2. Comfort Fedoke: Yes, she was the one who was eliminated and was brought back to the show. We were thinking hard on the fly and couldn't come up with a name, but we knew it had happened before. The real question is: Why don't they bring back contestants anymore?

I'm bummed the show will be pre-empted by the MLB All-Star game. We want All-Stars, but the ones who dance, not hit a ball. I will miss you guys next week, but we will return on July 24 with Mollee Gray and Kent Boyd. They have exciting news to discuss with their Teen Beach Movie coming out on the Disney Channel. You can also stay up-to-date on our future guests by clicking here.

To see the Sean Cheesman side-by-side comparison of his jazz routine from SYTYCD Canada with the U.S version, click here.

I would love to hear your comments on the show, so hit me up in the comments section below: