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So You Think You Can Dance recap - Good stuff from the top 12!
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Good show, people, good show! We’ve had a few mediocre performances in the last couple weeks, so last night was a nice surprise – the vast majority of the performances were really impressive (okay, except one…I’m talking to you, Phillip and Jeanine).
This week the top 12 performed with Tyce Diorio as the guest judge. We’re still plugging away at two hour shows…so how do you fill two hours with only six couples? They each dance twice, that’s how. Here’s how it went:
Melissa and Ade
They first dance a Disco routine choreographed by Doriana Sanchez. They dance to “Move on Up” by Destination. I swear, if there was one style I’d like to try on this show, it might be Disco. This stuff is so fun and kind of nutty. If you can forgive his outfit (tight purple sequined pants and a matching shirt), this is an awesome start to the night. It’s super fast, fun and exciting. As a ballet dancer, the judges comment that nobody would think a ballerina could pull this off and she did, but I still think she looked a little more awkward doing this dance than Janette did, for example. But still impressive. Ade is amazing – one of my favorite guys left in the competition. He’s so talented – his technique is awesome, but he’s just interesting to watch. You can’t take your eyes off him and it’s hard to explain why. The judges all agree it was a “tremendous” performance.
Kayla and Kupono
They dance a Contemporary number choreographed by Mia Michaels. They dance to “Gravity” by Sara Bareilles. Apparently, in this piece, Kupono is an addiction and Kayla is trying to run from it. Kupono mentions this topic hits really close to home and it’s difficult for him to play this part. I admit, I rolled my eyes…but after you see the dance, I feel bad for rolling my eyes. It’s the one time tonight I got chills during a performance. Kayla certainly looks like an addict with her lack of makeup and stringy hair, and Kupono looks sinister as the addiction. What can you say – Mia choreographed an amazing dance and these two were nearly perfect in pulling it off. I’d think something like this could look cheesy if not done correctly, but it was really well done. Nigel loved it but mentioned he’d like to actually see Kayla – her hair tends to cover her entire face. I agree. Mary loved the number, calling Kayla flawless. Tyce also digs Kayla, calling her a phenomenal, incredible beast. I’m pretty sure he meant that in a good way.
Caitlin and Jason
Caitlin and Jason dance a Fox Trot choreographed by Tony Meredith and Melanie Lapatin. They dance to “Minnie the Moocher” by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. For a Fox Trot, I didn’t want to shoot myself out of boredom, so that says something. It was good – oddly slow in certain places, and she doesn’t seem to have a lot of personality in this dance, but for a Fox Trot, it was interesting. You can’t deny they look really graceful. The judges comment on how they made it look easy and it was really good, but they aren’t jumping up and down for it.
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Jeanine and Phillip Photo courtesy of Fox |
Jeanine and Phillip
If you just happened to turn on your TV and saw these two dancing this number, you would have turned the channel and never tuned into this show again. It was that bad.
They dance a Russian Folk Dance, choreographed by newcomers Youri Nelzine and Lilia Babenko. Suffice it to say, I doubt they’ll be back. They dance to “Kalinka” by Barynya, in case you care. It was really, really bad. The choreography was terrible. This is supposed to be about the dancers, but you honestly can’t get over how stupid this dance is. Perhaps it’s harsh to tear apart Russian Folk Dancing, but I never, ever want to see that again.
As far as the dancers go, Phillip looked terribly awkward at the beginning, but pulled it together towards the end. Jeanine can make it look like she’s danced anything before. It’s not good, but she succeeds in making it look like she’s done it before. That’s the nicest I can get here.
The judges agree with me – Nigel says his criticism isn’t about the dancing but about “the folk style you were asked to do.” Tyce is the only judge to look past the choreography and called Jeanine “fabulous” and told Phillip he surprised him (in a good way).
Randi and Evan
Randi and Evan dance a Hip Hop routine choreographed by Tabitha and Napoleon. They dance to “Halo” by Beyonce. In this number, Randi and Evan are a young couple in love who just found out they are expecting a baby. You have to love the themes in some of these dances. Anyway, they do a great job. The choreography is really fun and I love watching these two dance. She’s clearly the one your eye always goes to, but both of them are super talented. Nigel calls them one of his favorite couples, Mary says they did a great job and Tyce said he loves Randi, but he feels like Evan needs to “find more”. I would have no idea what to do if someone told me that – I’m assuming a dancer knows what that means?
Janette and Brandon
Janette and Brandon dance an Argentine Tango choreographed by Leonardo Barrionuevo and Miriam Larici. They dance to “Libertango” from Forever Tango (original Broadway cast album). Again, for a ballroom dance, this was so fun to watch. They were just incredible – I’d say the best so far tonight. She’s so sharp – her technique looks near perfect (from what I can tell). Brandon is smooth and looks flawless as well. All three judges give them a standing ovation. Nigel says, “For a ballroom routine, that was as close to perfection as I’ve ever seen on this stage, ever.” Mary is just as impressed, calling it outstanding. Tyce commends them on their attention to detail, calling them a power couple. He blabs on for a bit, comparing them to squeezing an orange. He loses me and I wish these eccentric choreographer types would just keep it simple for us. What the hell is he talking about?
That’s completes the first round of dances…onto the couples’ second dance of the night. First up again, are Melissa and Ade.
Melissa and Ade
They dance a Waltz by Ron Montez. They dance to “(You Make Me Feel Like) a Natural Woman” by Mary J Blige. Yes, it’s sensual and sweet, but I’m always bored with the Waltz…even when it’s done really well. As a ballerina, she looks really beautiful and elegant and again, Ade can do no wrong. The judges all say it was beautiful, but they aren’t nearly as excited as they were with the last performance.
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Kayla and Kupono Photo courtesy of Fox |
Kayla and Kupono
Kayla and Kupono’s second dance is a Broadway number choreographed by Joey Dowling. They dance to “The Dance at the Gym” from West Side Story (the New Broadway cast). It’s…okay. She seems emotionless. They’re doing this fun, Broadway dance which requires these kids to act a little bit but Kayla just seems to have the same smile on her face the entire time. Technically, she’s unreal. On the flip side, I think Kupono is better at the acting side of things, but he’s nowhere near Kayla’s ability, technically. Overall, it was just okay. Not great. Nigel and Mary both agree they didn’t capture the emotion or the real style of the dance, but they danced it well. Tyce gets all artistic on me again, saying they “needed to get down into the floor more and make it part of your world.” Really?
Caitlin and Jason
Their second performance of the night is a Lyrical Jazz routine choreographed by Mandy Moore. They dance to “Show Me Heaven” by Maria McKee. Mandy Moore always has the more popular routines and this is a great dance…but Caitlin and Jason were just okay. They were more than okay – they were really, really good, but for some reason there’s just not that much to say about it. Nigel is on my page – he says “Technically, you danced it very well”, but seems to be at a loss to say much else. Mary sums it up best by saying, “It wasn’t magic tonight in that piece…it is memorable? It may not be. Was it really good? I think it was.”
Jeanine and Phillip
Jeanine and Phillip dance the Jive this time around, choreographed by Tony Meredith and Melanie Lapatin. They dance to “Stuff Like That There” by Bette Midler. It’s really fun choreography and she does an awesome job. Clearly, this isn’t Phillip’s style, but he doesn’t suck at all! Nigel says it’s the best he’s been out of his own style, which is a pretty big compliment. The judges are all impressed with Phillip and the fact he wasn’t horrible, but they are raving about Jeanine, saying she’s a star, she’s on fire tonight and that she’s definitely one of the best top 10 dancers.
Randi and Evan
Randi and Evan dance a Samba choreographed by Pasha Kovalev and Anya Garnis. They dance to “Ritmo de Bom Bom” by Jubaba. She’s in a very skimpy costume - all leopard skin, with lots of accompanying frills. She looks hot, but she also looks like she’s at a Halloween party, dressed as “skanky tiger”. It’s a really fun dance, one that you’d like to see Pasha and Anya dance. They do a good job, but not a great job. The judges have a hard time believing Evan as a “Samba King”. They do think Randi did an awesome job, carrying the routine for them both, and that you can’t take your eyes off of her. Mary says it wasn’t really dynamic and that they could’ve done more.
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Janette and Brandon Photo courtesy of Fox |
Janette and Brandon
Janette and Brandon end the night with the best routine so far. They dance a Jazz routine, choreographed by Wade Robson. They dance to “Ruby Blue” by Roisin Murphy. I think Wade watched his crash test dummies routine from a few weeks ago, and realized, “Uh yeah, I may have gone too far there…” because this time it was different and quirky, but not in a way that will be over the heads of 95% of America. It was spunky, super fun and had a great beat. There’s always one routine I usually rewind on my TiVo every week to watch again and this one was it. These two can dance anything, I swear! She looks sassy and sharp, yet you can tell how technically sound she is. He’s incredible – no doubt about it. The judges agree this was the best routine of the night. Nigel tells Janette and Brandon he would be surprised if these two don’t get the biggest vote of the night.
There you have it! I’m not sure if the show will reveal the bottom three couples, since there are only six couples left, but if they do, I suspect they will be: Caitlin and Jason, Jeanine and Phillip, and Kayla and Kupono. Tune in for results tonight!
For a recap of last week's show, click here!
For a recap of last week's results, click here!
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