I was so excited for season 6 of So You Think You Can Dance. Still buzzed off how great of a season season 5 became and the promise that season 6 was, in the words of Mia Michaels, "going to blow season 5 out of the water;" I couldn't wait to meet the dancers of season 6 and have my mind blown by their collect amazing-ness.

Unfortunately, So You Think You Can Dance's move to fall has been much more of a stumble than a success. Maybe it's SYTYCD fatigue, maybe it was over-hyping, or the fact that the auditions seem to have lasted longer than the competition itself, in truth, it's all of those things and more. And it all adds up to a major case of disappointment when it comes to So You Think You Can Dance's big fall debut.

These are what I attribute as the major culprits of my displeasure:

11. Shortened Season, Extended Auditions

It seems like the auditions for season 6 actually lasted longer than the season itself. We spent more time getting to know the auditioners than the Top 20 dancers themselves.

10. Judges Choice Eliminations

Thanks to the World Series the first two weeks eliminations were left solely up to the judges with no say from America. I thought this was America's Favorite Dancer, not Nigel's. I guess I was wrong.

9. Pathetic Pleas for Paula Abdul

The first two weeks of the season there was an actual empty chair next to Nigel with Paula Abdul's name on it. Thankfully, the weekly pleas stopped and the chair was removed. Apparently Paula's people don't submit to peer pressure or pathetic pleas.

8. No Mia Michaels

The night the Top 20 was chosen we learned one of So You Think You Can Dance's true stars, Mia Michaels, would not be returning for season 6. Her choreography and presence has been missed every week.

7. No Guest Judges

With the addition of Adam Shankman as a permanent judge, not only do we get such long winded critiques that even the sweet Cat Deeley threatened to hit Shanks in the throat, we haven't had a single guest judge. The show has suffered without the diversity of opinions that guest judges have brought in the past to the detriment of viewer's enjoyment and the dancer's growth. 

6. The Season of 10,000 Tears

From the non-stop audition cry fest to the pre-taped parent packages to Ryan Di Lello's plea for his wife to Mary Murphy choking up over countless performances, there have been more tears than routines this season.

5. Injuries Galore!

Season 6 was cursed with injuries and illness from the auditions right up to the finale. From Billy Bell taking an elbow to the face, Pauline Mata's ankle of horror, Billy Bell's season ending illness, Noelle's knee, Mollee's ankle, and finally Ashleigh and Ellenore's shoulder injuries this week. Hopefully the injuries are done for season 6, but they've already taken out a lot of the steam and talent of season 6.

4. Lackluster Choreography

Until the past two weeks there hasn't been a single routine that had the memorability or wow factor of the great routines of season's past. I'm not sure if we can blame Mia Michaels absence for this or the fact that the choreographers didn't have the usual year in between seasons to cultivate stunning choreography. Save some notable exceptions, much of the choreography this season has fallen flat.

3. The Gigantic Neon Dancer-Swallowing Disaster of a New Stage

Maybe the choreography seemed so lackluster because it was obscured by a ten story tall digital screen that featured needless line obscuring backgrounds. Or the fact that the stage seems to swallow dancers, or they have to use props to make interesting entrances...or that we hate absolutely everything about the new stage.  (You do too.)

2. Top 6 Finale

Thanks to the shortened season (or was it the extended auditions?) and the holidays the season 6 finale will include 6 dancers. That's right, almost a third of the Top 20 are in the final, which makes it seem less special. More importantly, a top 6 finale robs America of one more week of voting and dancing to help decide upon a favorite dancer. (this after weeks of voting were already taken away from us.)Saddest of all, one less week of routines means one less week for season 6 to shine and share their talent.

And the final nail in season 6's coffin?

1. An Hour Long Performance Finale

You read that right kids. Not only will the season 6 finale include more dancers than ever  before, it will also be the shortest performance show of the season. Because that makes PERFECT sense. Based on mathematics alone, this means that we will have no group dances featuring the guys and girls, which in the past have presented some of the most memorable dances of the season. It also means there most likely won't be time for solos or introduction packages. Even with those things missing I still can't figure out how FOX is going to fit 9 routines and judges commentary in under an hour. What I do know, is however they do it, it will be rushed and to the detriment of deciding who our favorite dancer is.

All this has me scratching my head. With all these scheduling issues resulting in a shortened season, what exactly was the rush to have season 6 in the fall instead of the summer? If you figure it out, let me know, because I can't think of a single reason good enough to make up for what season 6 has lacked.