So You Think You Can Dance, Season 4 Finale

The month of August was a pretty crazy time for the Style Bard, which is why I'm only just seeing the Season Finale of SYTYCD. Better a month late than never, right?

Throughout the season (this was the first complete season of this show I've watched) my favorites were often in flux. I always enjoyed watching Mark perform because of how he took on his roles. I always liked his partner Chelsie for her warm, relateable personality. And then there were Josh and Twitch, two of my favorite all-around dancers from the Top 20. But I was mostly rooting for Will, who demonstrated a brilliant combination of charm, humility, technique and sheer talent.

Watching Will get booted from the Top 6 completely broke my heart. I thought he would at the very least make it to the end. But America's votes proved my choice moot. However, the Top 4, Josh, Katee, Twitch and Courtney are very very strong competitors and I'm not disappointed by any of them being there. They've continued to earn their place and prove to me that the loss of Will wasn't in vain.

Watching the Finale, my top female was Katee and my favorite male was Josh. Courtney's loss didn't slay me, but I was surprised that Katie, another girl, got knocked off first. This really was a season for the men--and, may I say, black men. Then again, I didn't expect two girls to win in consecutive seasons, either. Last year, Sabra's win was a big moment for the show.

I like having a prize for the Top Guy and Top Girl. I find it very hard to compare the female and male dancers to one another, since dance leans so heavily on gender roles, and because this show always couples their dancers male/female throughout. However, doesn't that really suck for the second best dancer (Twitch) to get nothing while the third best dancer gets a prize for being the opposite sex of the winner? I don't know, something bothers me about this situation.

And on Mary Murphy's dance? I gotta say--it's a shame she spends all of that time on-air behind the table, because, damn that woman has some gams.

The Cirque du Soleil dance, "Homage to All of the Rabbits Who Died at the Hands of Incompetent Magicians"? May I just say: creepy and sensational. Loved it. It might have only been too macabre without the leverage of the cheeky title card. And throughout this eery dance, I found the most compelling/repulsive characters to be the ones where their entire faces were concealed, so I especially enjoyed the final touch where all of the masks were removed.

And last but not least, I have to write a little love letter to the costume department on this show... keep up the amazing work, guys. I always love seeing what the dancers will wear next.

One day, one day I will see the dance tour that follows this show. I'm so glad the top ten dancers get to travel and perform, and are guaranteed work for awhile even if they don't win. They all have such a strong fan base, and the fans should get to see these performers working together live. It's a great idea, and I look forward to seeing it one year when I'm incredibly attached to the cast.

As for this year: congratulations Josh, you were always incredibly strong and sexy, modest and smart, and always surprising the judges with your concealed strengths in unpredictable areas. You're a true winner.

Did you watch this season? Who did you want to win? What was your favorite dance? (I think mine was Mark & Chelsie's "Bleeding Love," as pictured.) Tell me what you think!