4252 replies to this topic

[splendourific]

Loved his delightful solo to Bohemian Rhapsody and his Youtube page shows a lot of promise. Can't wait to see what happens with this guy. I wish they had highlighted him more! He seems great.

[ladybutterfly55]

Excellent thread title!!

Just from his Bohemian Rhapsody solo alone, I can't wait to see what he has to offer on the show!

[luna_t]

I feel like a lot of times humor and fun is in short supply among the contemporary dancers so this guy is my favorite of that crew just for the Queen solo. So cute!

[antelogi]

That little Queen solo snippet was what? All of five seconds? And yet he won me over. Just like that.

[britesongs]

ITA. They showed that bit of the solo and I was blown back, looking around like, WHERE did this guy come from? He seems like a really interesting contemporary dancer, as opposed to just having beautiful lines or technique. Humor always shows up in hip-hop, but not as often in contemporary, so I loved it. Mark and Gev are my boys!

[alvin etler]

His DoD was wonderful, and it proved that Mary doesn't only cackle inappropriately to hip hop dancing.

[ninaku]

He does have a great entertaining quality and have shown creativity with humor.. Thank you for directing us to his youtube splendourific,

Loved his delightful solo to Bohemian Rhapsody and his Youtube page shows a lot of promise. Can't wait to see what happens with this guy. I wish they had highlighted him more! He seems great.

This guy can do hiphop quite well in fact. Here. Hopes he does well in his ballrooms and hone in on his contemporary as well.

He is one'f my favourites this year definitely.

[angelina0722]

Woo hoo, a Hawaii boy! Wish he'd had more camera time in auditions / Vegas.

A good biography and interview from 2006.

[splendourific]

The Fox site has put up bios of the top 20, including Mark's.

Which choreographers would you like to work with?
WADE!!!!!!.........He is on another planet…in another mind set!!!!!......I LOVE IT!!!!!! All the choreographers on the show have HUGE passion for what they do……I’m excited to work with people that are passionate about what they do and be able to learn how to speak in their languages.

First of all, he has good taste. Although I love Mia, I'm most interested in choreographers like Wade who think outside of the contemporary/jazz box. Second of all, I'm sad that Wade isn't going to be as involved with the show this year because I'd love to see what he and Mark would put together in a couples routine.

A lot of his answers are really quite endearing, so I hope he's good because I want him to go far. Just judging from what I've seen, I think he has the power to be a real force on the show. He's not the typical, "arms-flailing-jumping-spinning-fake-passion" contemporary dancer we see on the show far too often.

P.S. angelina0722, thanks for sharing those links!

[Ninja Bunny]

That little Queen solo snippet was what? All of five seconds? And yet he won me over. Just like that.

The hopping piano thingie was the funniest (in a good way) thing I've seen on the show so far. How clever! Love!

[Aludra]

He does have a charming bio, and his hip hop wasn't bad for a contemporary dancer. Really looking forward to seeing what he's capable of, because what we've seen so far –solo, sense of humour, extraordinary good looks (!)–is promising.

[Rossonera]

Unless he screws up spectacularly, Mark is going to be my TV boyfriend of the summer. LOVE the solo, the quirky fashion sense and the cuteness.

[angelina0722]

His Vegas solo.

He is gorgeous in his pic on the Fox Website. Ok, I'm officially obsessed.

[ByTheWay]

Finalist on 'So You Think You Can Dance'

A dance instructor from Hawaii hopes his unique style will take him to the top.

Mark has choreographed for stars, and now is on the brink of stardom himself.

"He has so much more that he hasn't got to show the judges and everybody" says student Carly Takara. "I'm excited to see him show everybody."

This is getting me really excited to see what Mark brings to the table. I hope the show didn't cast him as cannon fodder.

[splendourific]

Per spoilers:

I am so excited about Mark's partner! Considering they gave him Chelsie, I'm pretty confident that TPTB believe in him and I think he'll go far. The one thing I was shaky about was his ability to do ballroom, but now I'm pretty sure this match-up can do anything. I'm really excited to see them dance in the future weeks!

[EmbiggenedSoul]

Love the thread title, splendourific! Heh.

I am really intrigued and excited by this guy. Can't wait to see what he can do, but definitely he's going to be a favorite of mine. Plus, he's cute!

[anothermi]

Like many, I really sat up and took notice of him after his Bohemian Rhapsody solo snippet. From what I have seen on this myspace, I think I'm really going to like him.

Plus, he's cute!

Yeah. He's can both dufusy (as per his BR solo) or steaming hot (per head shots on his myspace) and I like the combination.

[ByTheWay]

Mark Is Already All Banged Up

Making it into the Top 20 of "So You Think You Can Dance" is an exciting opportunity for Castle High School graduate Mark Kanemura, but it's been something else, too -- painful.

"My knees are all bruised, my toes are bleeding. It's so much harder than I ever, ever imagined," he said in a phone call yesterday. "Even sleeping hurts."

I think Mia's organic dance style definitely takes a toll on the dancers. I remember from season 1 when Melody displayed the bruises on her hips from the Top 4 dance she did with Ashlee.

[Plechazunga]

From his FOX bio:

I also like to think I’m a runway coach

He had an opportunity to call himself a "runway coach and diva extraordinaire," but he blew it. He's lost my vote.

Edited by Plechazunga, Jun 11, 2008 @ 2:05 PM.

[loseresque]

The fact that he even thought of runway coach has got to count for something, right?

[splendourific]

Ugh, I am so impatient to see him dance tonight! I know I shouldn't get invested this early but I haven't seen anything I don't like. Then again, I haven't seen much. But still! Love him!

[O2Sean]

I feel like a lot of times humor and fun is in short supply among the contemporary dancers so this guy is my favorite of that crew just for the Queen solo.

I wonder how the judges will react to even a hint of contemporary dance with humor. I can imagine sour Mia smacking him down, not to mention Nigel.

[angelina0722]

I thought he did great tonight, and his was easily one of my two favorite routines of the evening (Joshua/Katee being the other).

Not sure what beef Mia had with Mark during rehearsals, but apparently he impressed her in the actual performance.

[TwistTie]

Pasha was my TV younger boyfriend last season (I'll be 40 in September) and I believe Mark fits the bill for me this year. In the event he is gay I'll gladly be his FagHag :)

I love a good sense of humour and he's all angles I love it and love what he did last night.

[ManonLescaut]

I think Mark will do well with a smooth waltz.
He's incredibly fluid.

[zabruder]

There's a bit of Mr Bean in him.

I hope he has more than one spectacular solo prepared.

[tyladurden]

This guy can do hiphop quite well in fact. Here. Hopes he does well in his ballrooms and hone in on his contemporary as well.

Well damn. Thanks for the link! His choreo is slightly Wade-esque, which means he's definitely my favorite this year. I'm gonna be pissed if Nigel cast him as fodder.

[EmbraceTheDark]

I wonder how the judges will react to even a hint of contemporary dance with humor. I can imagine sour Mia smacking him down, .

Ha! How right you were. At least, she seemed happier with him by the end of the actual performance.

I usually roll my eyes at people who declare themselves to be "different" but there is a quality about him I really like. I hope he can churn out some incredible, dynamic, UNIQUE solos because contemporary solos can be really hit or miss for me.

As for his choreography, I need to learn the "London Bridge" routine ASAP.

I don't think he's any kind of fodder. I really hope not, because I'd like to see him stick around for as long as possible (and the fact that I think he's pretty probably has something to do with that). He was really incredible and fierce during Wade's group routine - I hope Wade makes a few guest appearances during the season, because I want to see what he would do with a dancer like Mark in a couple's routine.

Edited by EmbraceTheDark, Jun 12, 2008 @ 11:06 PM.

[loseresque]

I thought he was featured well in that opening number. His unique facial features certainly help out in the two quirky dances he's had to do so far. Part of me wants him in the bottom 3 just to see a full solo BUT I don't want to risk losing him yet. A few more good dances and he'll be in the top 10 and hopefully get a chance to solo.

I cannot wait for him to get hip-hop. Hopefully, it's more aggressive than hip hop lite.

[O2Sean]

Ha! How right you were. At less, she seemed happier with him by the end of the actual performance.

Yes, that wonderful thumbs up. Mark was very polite not to give her a finger in return.

I don't know whether she actually felt that way about Mark or if that was all cooked up to impress people when they actually saw him, but I thought he was the best part of Mia's contemporary and also the best part of the group number.

He's beautiful in a very unique way and I couldn't figure out if his look is perfect for a Wade routine or if the other men were styled to resemble Mark.

I'm looking forward to what he will do next. I don't hold out any hope for the choreography, but I think he has the potential to be very diverse.

He reminds me of a dancer from So You Think You Can Dance Australia, one of the men who made the top four.