Then again, as we saw in this week's episode Mia seems to have taken a new approach to training dancers, which could also have contributed to her exit. Instead of the previous season's Mia, who screamed and demanded more from the auditioners, this new Mia seemed very Zen. But her choreography for the Vegas auditions still looked insane, and she made people cry, so her method of getting those same old results doesn't matter to me.

And I'll miss her crazy ass during critiques. I use the word "banoodles" (which I picked up from her usage on the judging panel) on a fairly regular basis, and I liked her slightly out there, but often cutting, remarks. And then there's her choreography, which was so stunning when I first saw it -- and I wasn't particularly even a fan of contemporary dance before this show (I'm more of a ballroom junkie). But the twists and the turns were like nothing I'd ever seen on TV, and the ways they conveyed stories were usually so beautiful. And while I will admit her dances haven't been quite as amazing or unique lately, they still look pretty challenging for these dancers to achieve. I watch the "Door dance" far more often than a normal person should admit to in public.

However, while I adore her and will definitely notice her absence, I don't necessarily think the show will suffer much without her. They've got heaps of choreographers now, many of whom love to do contemporary (Travis, Sonya, Mandy, etc...) and will put the contestants through their paces. Tyce's breast cancer piece got the insane gaga-praise last season that Mia's pieces usually receive, so he's quite capable of bringing out the emotional stories that the judges gravitate towards. Plus, some new blood could be good for the show. I just hope Mia will come back in a season or two with some wild dances stockpiled -- along with some new nonsense words for me to add to my vocabulary. And even wilder hair. And if she shows up somewhere else before then, so much the better; I'll be tuning in for sure.