Hey all I can't believe it's already the top 14 on SYTYCD. In a few weeks we will have our top 10, and then anything can happen. But for now six dancers (Kayla, Kupono, Jason, Caitlin, Vitolio and Karla) are likely fighting for the final two spots in the top 10 alongside Evan/Randi, Brandon/Janette, Phillip/Jeanine, and Melissa/Ade, all of whom have the popularity in talent to likely make it that far even with a subpar dance or two.
We have an opening showing highlights of the season so far, including auditions from Brandon (yay!) and Gabi Rojas (didn't we get enough of her in Hollywood). I'm guessing this is just to kill time since they have two hours for only seven dances this week. We also get some shots of the live dances so far, even eliminated contestants like Max.
Cat is wearing a cute pink dress with a black belt to match. And I'm loving her hair tonight, very simple but classy.
Vitolio is likely doing hip hop with his new partner Karla based on the outfit he has on for his solo. Caitlin blows the low-cheering crowd a kiss. Evan looks so cute with his fluffy hair, and partner Randi has a cute black hat. Brandon does some cool spins. Ade has a cool flip and stretches his leg further behind his head than anyone should be able to.
Tonight's guest judge is Mia Michaels, who gets way more cheers than I thought she would. Wonder what she will say about Brandon. Right away Cat asks her if her opinions have changed about anyone since she last saw them. Cat's trying to get Mia to say she was wrong on Brandon, I bet. The crowd is cheering reluctant Mia on. She claims her opinion has changed for the better, but won't say on who. Nigel asks her if this opinion she's referring to involves a small male dancer, and she says yes. I'm guessing that means Brandon even though I don't think he is that small. Oh well at least she's seen the error of her ways. Nigel then asks "Were the initials Brandon?", though Mia doesn't respond. As Cat points out, Brandon is his name, not initials!
Cat teases tonight we have a quickstep (one of my favorite ballroom dances), plus a classical paus de deux, and a special announcement, whatever that means. I wonder if it's about the Paula Abdul-choreographed Michael Jackson tribute that was supposedly organized on Twitter.
Tonight we find out about contestants' highs and lows since they first came on the show.
Janette and Brandon- Well we get to see if Mia's views on Brandon have changed right off the bat. They basically are reliving their previous dances on the live shows. They were worried about their final lift on their first-week fox trot but are happy that it came together. They could barely breathe during their fast disco. Janette loved her outfit in last week's dance, but there is debate over who won the battle of the sexes during the dance. Apparently Brandon's dance teacher invited people over to watch him dance last week and they were all shocked (as was I) as to how well he did hip hop. This week they have a cha-cha with Jean Marc and France. That should be good for salsa dancer Janette. Sure enough she is getting into it, but she warns that if they have one wrong step it will be disastrous since the routine is kind of dangerous.
The song is "Hush Hush" by Pussycat Dolls. A modern song for a cha cha? I like the song and all, but really? They start out slowly but once the music kicks up it's just wow. They weren't kidding about the dance being fast. I don't really see the danger though, but I guess that's because they did everything so smoothly so there was no danger. Janette's multiple spins in a row was a highlight for me, though the whole dance was amazing. Janette seemed to hit it a bit harder than Brandon, but that's not surprising since the dance had a salsa feel to it. Loved Brandon playing to the crowd by winking and singing along to the music, and he certainly held his own. I'm not a big fan of cha-chas in general so it wasn't my absolute favorite dance but it was still really great.
Nigel thinks it was the best cha cha he's ever seen on this show. Wow. I can't really say if I agree since I've only watched one other season but it certainly was excellent. He felt like he was watching a professional ballroom stage. He also compliments Brandon's feet for being great despite having no ballroom training. He also reminds us neither of them have done their own style on the show yet, though this was pretty close for Janette in my opinion. Mary puts them on the hot tamale train. She says how different salsa technique is from cha cha and points out how exciting Janette made it. She can't believe how versatile Brandon is every week. He is the favorite to win the whole show in my opinion. And we get some loud screams of course. Now for Mia.... She claims she is toughest on the most talented and that's why she was hard on Brandon. Aw she made Brandon cry.... She then says Brandon is amazing and that Janette has been on fire since day one, including tonight.
Kayla and Kupono- Cool both my favorites from last week are going early in the show.Too bad they have to go after that great first number. Kupono's first dance forced him to create a new world of crash test dummies. Kayla was on the hot tamale train the first week, which shocked her. Kupono just couldn't connect with Ashley during his hip hop the second week. Kayla was devastated when Max was voted off, and Kupono was just as low when he lost Ashley. Kupono was scared of the waltz last week but was thrilled after being put on the hot tamale train. They are doing contemporary with Sonya. Kupono even made a shirt for her saying "I Love Sonja"! The routine apparently involves vampires. Hey why not they are very "in" right now. Kayla is trying to pull away from death and Kupono is pulling her towards it. Sounds interesting.
The song is "Eyes on Fire" by Blue Foundation. I'm not a big fan of Sonja's work so I don't love the routine itself but it is being danced very well. They seem very in unison on the solo parts and I can feel the passion coming through the TV. It wasn't as good as the first routine in my opinion but it was still very good. Kayla at one point sticks her leg up straight in the air. It looks painful but she doesn't seem fazed by it at all.
Nigel enjoyed going back to the darkside with this routine. He for the first time mentions Kayla second, and he loved the technique put in a modern routine. I wonder if he barely mentioned Kayla so he'll stop being accused of always pimping her. He adds they compliment each other very well. Mary says they are alive and kicking and adds Sonja played to their strengths with the choreography. She does praise Kayla but adds they had chemistry the whole time, even when they were not dancing together. She agrees Kupono stepped it up and that they are both stayinig on the hot tamale train this week. Mia says they are gorgeous together and she loves the costuming and makeup. She adds this was Sonja's best piece on the show. Kayla commits to the story and has great lines, and Kupono has taken the judges' advice and gotten better each week. This should be interesting since they based on popularity should be in the bottom three this week but if one of the popular couples is subpar who knows what will happen. This is two straight weeks they have been great so I'd say they are early favorites to be the last couple in the top 10.
Randi and Evan- Evan's favorite part of the show is working with the great choreographers. He loved his sensual jazz piece in week one (I don't even remember it...). Randi was nervous about the fast jive but they were able to hang in there. Evan thought it was amazing working with Mia last week (way to suck up to this week's judge!!!). Randi's family and friends all loved the dance but snuck in lots of butt jokes at the same time. They are doing Broadway this week!!! Yay for Evan finally getting his own style!!! The choreographer is Joey Dowling though, not Adam or Tyce. Hmm... The routine has lots of power in it and is not typical Broadway so they struggle at first. Joey was teaching them too fast and they couldn't keep up. But I have a feeling the routine will end up great tonight- whenever a pair struggles in rehearsal the routine ends up amazing.
The song is from Sweet Charity (boo another show I haven't seen) and is called "Rich Man's Frug". It involves the two of them play fighting with each other and even a brief arm wrestling match. Woah Evan even does a cartwheel off the table! Evan is really shining and getting into the character. Randi is good but I think she seemed a bit less believable compared to Evan.
Nigel says this was an homage to Bob Fossey and loved the choreography from that era. He warns them to keep their wrists more flexible. He then says Randi was very good and Evan was disappointing, but they are both still in his top 10. I thought Evan was better than Randi but what do I know. Mary thought Evan did his own style fairly well and loved how he stayed in character. She thought Randi stayed in character too but could have done better. She agrees with Nigel on the wrists but still found it entertaining, which it was. Mia says they have to work harder because they are short but they didn't take it to the next level enough. She says Randi was a bit heavy in her movements and she expects more from Evan. I liked it better than they did but either way they should still be safe another week.
Jason and Caitlin- Jason has learned a lot about himself during this competition. Jason was at first worried about Bollywood but was glad everyone liked it. Caitlin got lots of praising emails after that routine. Jason says waiting to hear your fate is worse than being in the bottom three. He admits the paso doble last week was hard. Caitlin feels the pressure to do well this week, as does Jason. They are doing Brian Friedman's jazz routine. Great the guy whose last routine was horrible.... This time Caitlin is an alien who blew up Earth and wants to procreate with Jason, the last man on Earth. Okay.... Brian says Caitlin must scare Jason or the dance won't work. She is the "man" of the dance yet is struggling with the choreography.
The song is "Creator" by Sentigold. Never heard of the song or artist. Caitlin is in a weird latex outfit with metal pieces and a spiky headpiece. They start out hitting it super hard and while they soften up a bit as the dance goes on I found my self strangely entertained. I don't think Caitlin was that scary until the end when she lifts a baby out of a dying Jason but the routine was cool in a weird sort of way. That was actually my second favorite so far after Brandon and Janette's number.
Nigel thinks Brian comes from another planet with his ideas! He says it was very weird and crazy at times but they committed to it. He also wonders why Caitlin's costume covers her up so much when she's trying to procreate. Did he just say she looks like a condom?????? What???? Cat replies, "Safety first"! Ha! Mary didn't think the routine played to their strengths and she didn't really get it. Cat adds that some at home likely agree with her. That's very true. This is like Brian's last routine, where people will either love or hate it. I really enjoyed it but they will likely be in the bottom three since many viewers probably won't get the routine. Mia thinks Brian just wanted to have fun with the routine and that that is refreshing. She didn't like the tin foil on Caitlin's costume but thought they danced it really well. So basically the routine was weird and danced well but it's oddness will likely put them in the bottom three.
Phillip and Jeanine- Jeanine never thought this could happen to her. Phillip has been greatly influenced by this experience. Jeanine was nervous to get hip hop the first week but then felt better when she found out Phillip was out partner. They admit tango was not their strongest week. The routine last week was fun, though all Phillip can remember is his pants falling down and how it kept showing on his face. I didn't realize you could see it through the whole routine but as they replay the clips it was very visible. Still was a fun routine though!
This week they are doing hip hop again with Napoleon and Tabitha. Well their previous hip hop was their best routine of the season so hopefully they should shine this week too. The routine is "a week in the life of SYTYCD" as they are being changed together as partners! That is really cool! The problem is if they step on the chain they will fall over, and even Nap and Tab are regretting the chain in the dance.
The song is "Love Lockdown" by Kanye West. Sure enough it starts out with Phillip picking up the card saying Jeanine is his partner. They are chained together but I barely noticed it except when it was part of the choreography. It's not the best danced routine I've ever seen but it was really entertaining. Jeanine kept up with Phillip on the hip hop and they were in sync when they needed to be. I really liked the cool touch at the end when they try to rip the chains off and then Phillip holds up the key to their "freedom". This was actually my second favorite of the night so far, better than Jason/Caitlin but not as good as the first number.
Nigel thinks if they keep dancing like that they should be chained together for life. He also loved the key part at the end and how Jeanine didn't take the key right away. Jeanine has not done her own style yet but she has done well at every style she's been given. Phillip's chest was popping like crazy. Mary thought it was incredibly creative. The prop could have been really good or really bad but it worked and neither of them fell! She agrees about Phillip's chest and adds that Jeanine really kept up with her partner. She says it will be a sad day when the two are no longer partners and Phillip in response throws away the key he still has in his hand! Mia compliments the choreographers but adds the chain made it too unpredictable at times since they could not control it. But that was not the dancers' fault I don't think.
Cat asks Phillip and Jeanine how hard the routine was to do and Jeanine says they had to plan for every possible disaster, from the chain breaking to one of them tripping. She adds they have chains all up in their apartment, which gets a big laugh from the crowd.
Melissa and Ade- Melissa's favorite moment was the first show. Ade was surprised at how involved the show was. They both loved their contemporary routine the first week, especially the lift at the end. Sonja's routine in week 2 was a lot of work and took a lot of athleticism but they pulled it off. Last week they had their sexy rumba despite the fact that Ade had no ballroom training. This week they are doing a paus de deux from Romeo and Juliet choreographed by Thordal Christensen. I actually don't even know what that dance is but I think it's kind of slow. They are doing a dance to Romeo and Juliet, which is Melissa's dream apparently. The dance is very tender and romantic, and Thordal wants them to "be" Romeo and Juliet. The dance is en pointe, which is the first time pointe shoes have been used on the show.
The song is some very long title from Romeo and Juliet. Right away the two of them have a look of innocence in their eyes, especially Melissa. The choreography is beautiful and the two of them dance it very well, it's just a bit boring for me. Maybe I've just been to one too many of my cousin's dance recitals over the years (by the way, she may audition for the show next season so you may see her on TV soon).
Nigel says it was beautifully danced by Melissa. He thinks Ade's feet could have been better but the rest was beautiful. Mary loved the chemistry and thought it was believable, which it really was. Melissa's pointwork was phenomal, and Ade showed his strength. I forgot ballet is Melissa's forte, and you could really see it in the dance. I thought she did outshine Ade a bit, though he was good as well. Mia says this form of dance solidifies technique and strength for dancers so she's excited it was danced as well as it was. She also loves the multiracial Romeo and Juliet and calls it gorgeous and brilliant, especially Melissa.
Last but not least is our new couple, Vitolio and Karla. After the great dances so far tonight they'll probably be in the bottom three no matter what but I am interested in how they do together.
Before these two perform though we get a package (aka filler) of the choreographers talking about how this show and dance has influenced them, plus clips from past seasons in between. Woah Carrie Ann Inaba used to be on this show!!!! That's why DWTS and SYTYCD are sharing dancers so much! There is a new foundation called the Dizzy Feet Foundation with Adam Shankman, Carrie Ann, Nigel and Katie Holmes (so THAT's how she got the dancing gig in the finale) to help underprivileged dancers. And Holmes, sporting a new short haircut, even gets interviewed by Cat in the clip about the foundation. It awards scholarships to underprivileged dancers throughout the country. They will start out with 10 scholarships to students from six studios. They also will train and accredit dance teachers throughout the nation. Hey it's Twitch!!!! I don't know why he's wearing a backwards rainbow hat but he does give a great message about the foundation keeping kids off the streets and into dance studios. Odd that when they interview Shane his caption says, "America's Best Dance Crew judge" and not "SYTYCD choreographer". Paula Abdul, J-Lo, Miley Cyrus (that's kind of random) and Debbie Allen are also involved. Debbie notes that art programs are being cut around the nation and this foundation will help give kids another way to express themselves.
Nigel then thanks the producers of the show and FOX for helping them with the foundation. If you want more information go to DizzyFeetFoundation.org or Fox.com. That's great that these guys are using this show to give back to the community, especially at a time when money is tight.
He then announces that July 23rd is their 100th episode and that the Katie Holmes-danced Judy Garland tribute will be aired then. That's not much of a surprise since it's been out there for weeks but oh well.
And now we get back to the dancing with Karla and Vitolio. They are doing the "dreaded" quickstep. I forgot that dancers hate quickstep on this show- on DWTS it is not despised nearly as much. Hey Jonathan is in the crowd cheering on his old partner- that's sweet. Karla says it's hard to do a great performance every week. Vitolio was in the bottom three the first week, as was Karla, even though the judges liked her dance. Vitolio felt the connection during his waltz. Karla was motivated for her second week dance and it paid off. Vitolio felt good about his jazz last week, and Karla thinks Jonathan gave it his all in the solo last week but it wasn't enough. The routine is choreographed by Jean-Marc and France. Vitolio is a museum statue come to life. Jean-Marc uses lots of analogies during rehearsals which makes them entertaining. Vitolio though is struggling with the choreography, but they seem confident at the end of the clip.
Ooh they are dancing to "Puttin on the Ritz"- that's a really fast song. Plus I know all the words since I sang it in middle school chorus. Ah memories. Anyway back to the dance. Vitolio rips off Karla's black costume to reveal a colorful dress underneath. I am actually pleasantly surprised at how good this was. It seemed a bit slow for a quickstep and Vitolio lost his posture a bit at times but overall I enjoyed it.
Nigel thought it was fun and entertaining and loved the costume change. But he thought the Charleston part was too static and the lines took away from the style. He did love their personality coming out in the dance. Mary thought they brought the routine to life. She said Vitolio stayed in hold the whole time and says at times they drifted too far to the right post or something like that but that was her only complaint. She also loved the costume change. Mia thinks the choreography was amazing and Jean-Marc made them this week. She says Vitolio confuses her because sometimes in other routines he seems like he can't be tamed but tonight he was the opposite. Vitolio says he hopes they made the "kiss of death" dance the kiss of joy, and Mia responds that they made out with the dance. Okay... She continues that Karla was great but she looked a bit scared at times.
This was some great night of dancing huh? I enjoyed every routine, as did the judges for the most part. My favorites were Brandon and Janette, followed by Phillip and Jeanine and Jason and Caitlin. As for the bottom three, it will likely come down to a popularity contest since no one was really bad. That likely means Jason and Caitlin, Vitolio and Karla, and Kupono and Kayla will be in the bottom. However I think Kupono and Kayla's routine was danced better than Evan and Randi's so I hope the latter are in the bottom instead but I doubt that will happen.
So thoughts on tonight's show? Were you as entertained as I was? And who should go home tomorrow night? Post your comments below.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment