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So You Think You Can Dance: Final 4 Perform, part 2
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Brandon Bryant and Evan Kasprzak battle it out in Laurie Ann Gibson's piece (Photo: Fox)
Previous Page: Where is that darn je na sai quoi?
There was much talk about how wonderful each of the four dancers were throughout the night, but none got so much attention for “peaking at the right time” as Jeanine. Jeanine and Kayla danced a contemporary dance by Mia Michaels, a conceptual piece about shedding layers – or as Adam called it, "the longest wardrobe malfunction in history" – which I found beautiful and not as hit-you-over-the-head literal as many of the conceptual pieces this season (I’m looking at you, NappyTabs). This felt like a different kind of piece from the others of the night, which imbued it with a real finale feel. As Melissa Sandvig noted in an exit interview with the LA Times, Jeanine and Kayla are such different dancers – Kayla is long-limbed and elegant while Jeanine is a spit-fire, strong, and passionate. Both brought their own brand style to the dance, and while Nigel, once again, got a bit pervy in wishing the routine had gone on longer, he also pointed out that Jeanine was at the right place, at the right time. It was a not-so-subtle indicator that the judges preferred Jeanine’s passion over Kayla’s elegance.
Evan and Kayla then danced a Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin jive, this one with a cowboy-up flair to it. The series of lifts were amazing, especially despite the rather robust height difference, but Evan’s footwork and retractions were a little casual for me, which all three of the judges brought up during their critiques. And this has been my major problem with Evan all season – while I’m sure he’s working very hard, it never seems like he’s really pushing himself all that much when it comes to his extensions, his kicks, and his performances in any other genre beyond his own. Kayla shone, though, as a sassy cowgirl, throwing herself into it and giving her most endearing performance to date. But as Nigel pointed out, it may be a case of too little, too late for Kayla. It must’ve been a bittersweet moment when he told her that if she’d cultivated this charm earlier, she’d be running away with the prize.
When it comes to Kayla, she suffered from the elite crowd of dancers to which Adam relegated her tonight – Travis Wall, Danny Tidwell, and Will Wingfield – dancers of the highest technical caliber whom the judges fawned over and whom America promptly passed over in the voting for dancers they liked much better. So, if that was an attempt to make viewers vote for Kayla, FAIL.
The routine I think that we were all waiting for was saved for last, a Louis Van Amstel paso doble with powerhouse frontrunners Brandon and Jeanine. It was an industrial, hard-hitting concoction and from the beginning steps, I was hooked. It was sexy, it was intense, and the technique – including the sometimes soggy swishes and stomps – was enthralling. It’s the kind of routine that I think everyone will remember and as Nigel commented, with this routine, Brandon and Jeanine had edged out the other two dancers just a smidgen.
So that’s what we got and now, we’ll have to see what America does with what they were given. My personal feeling is that Jeanine will win this whole crazy thing, but I don't discount Evan; my husband is convinced that no matter what, Evan will end up on top tomorrow night. My mom (who is not a regular watcher) thought it was all about Brandon last night. What about you? Do you think that anyone can compete with Evan’s popularity, especially a crowd that started chanting his name in the last moments? Did the judges doom Kayla by throwing her into the pool with other almost-weres? And what did you think of the judges’ parting words, particularly Nigel’s about how Brandon and Jeanine were the ones? Discuss and make sure to tune in tonight for the finale!
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