So You Think You Can Dance: Top 16 Perform

So excited for SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE tonight. The anticipation has helped me get through a very long day.  Hopefully, if our schedules work out, Ducky and I will be able to podcast tomorrow about tonight’s performances.  But since our plans aren’t set in stone, I thought it would be best for me to also share my thoughts in writing.  And you know most of the fun from writing my weekly recap is hearing what YOU thought of all the dances.  Did you see what I saw or will you open my eyes a bit more?  Can’t wait.

Before we get to the dances, there has been something in my head all week that I wanted to share.  I don’t know how many of you are also PROJECT RUNWAY fans, but over on EW, they have an interview with the most recently auf’d contestants, Gordana. In her exit interview she mentions how she wished the judging on PR was more like that of SYTYCD.  She praised the SYTYCD judges for not just ripping apart the dancers, but providing critical judgment in a respectful way.  But more importantly, offering up constructive criticism that the dancers could take with them and use to improve their art.

I had Gordana’s statement in my head going in to tonight’s episode, and I really felt her sentiment tonight.  All three judges, and especially Adam Shankman, really gave each of the dancers something to work on.  Even if he loved the performance he gave them constructive criticism that will help them become even better in the future.  And for all the judges, even if they really didn’t like the dance, they voiced their opinion but also offered up a small bit of encouragement along the way. All of this really contributes to my love for the show so I just wanted to share.

The Dizzy Feet Foundation…
Speaking of the judges, tonight they let us know about the upcoming Dizzy Feet Foundation performance in L.A.  Sadly it’s not going to be televised, but those lucky enough to attend (and oh lord I am so jealous of those going), will see not only the S5 SYTYCD dancers perform, but they will also see stars from DANCING WITH THE STARS (eh), crews from AMERICA’S BEST DANCE CREW (hot damn), Alvin Ailey dancers, the best from the American Ballet company and dancers from all the of STEP UP movies including his hotness Channing Tatum and his wife/co-star Jenna Dewan. And as some of our past fave SYTYCD dancers like Twitch and Jailbait Ivan are in the upcoming 3rd installment of STEP UP, they might just make an appearance.  As will Mary Murphy.  Oh how I wish I could be there. It’s going to be an amazing night for dance.  Or as Adam Shankman called it “the trifecta of reality dance TV,” So amazing and for a great cause!

As for tonight’s performances. You know how this works.  Although it’s not live during the show, I always live blog my thoughts so as not to be influenced by the judges’ opinions.  They might give me something to consider or perhaps re-watch, but for the most part it’s about my initial, gut reaction.

Please keep checking back throughout the night and early tomorrow as I’ll be adding videos of each of the dances as they are available. But I want to get the post up now so you can all share in the discussion.

And finally…welcome to So You Think You Can Dance!

Karen & Kevin (1-888-TEMPO-02)
The Hustle by Maria Torres

Aw, in the pre-vid we learned that Karen and her husband have divorced since the time they both auditioned for the show.  Well, now that’s a bit of a bummer.  But Mary’s right, Karen is a hot tamale so I don’t think she’ll have any trouble finding a new man. As for doing her thing on stage, once again Karen was impossible to ignore. She owns the stage and demands your attention.  But I thought Kevin did very well in partnering her tonight.  I noticed more technical errors on his part, but on the whole he was better than I thought he would be.  They can call is The Hustle, but it’s Disco. On the whole I don’t like Disco, and I didn’t love this routine, but I thought they performed it well enough.  It was good, not great for me tonight.

The Judges: Adam said that not only did they make it work, but they made it work for him.  He saw Kevin for the first time in the competition. He said he could not be more proud of them. Mary was equally excited and impressed.  Nigel was absolutely delighted in the dance, and especially with Kevin’s growth. Good remarks all around.

Ashleigh & Jacob (1-888-TEMPO-02)
Jazz by Mandy Moore

You had me at Mandy. You know I love me some Mandy Moore. As for Ashleigh, Jacob and their cane, while I wasn’t completely blown away by the performance, I do think they were both very much in character and played out the story well. It was intense and sassy, which I really enjoyed. I think it’s worth noting that I didn’t focus on the cane during the dance and I think that it’s a good thing.  Unlike the tennis racket props that were used last week, the cane really melded into the dance. Well dance. Just because it wasn’t one of my absolute favorites doesn’t mean I didn’t think it was fab.

Judges: All around the judges loved the dance and the dancers.  Nigel mentioned Mandy’s “Table Dance” from a few season’s back and put this dance on part with that one.  As the “Table Dance” is one of my all time favorites, I can’t say it’s on the same level as that, but I see why Nigel would make the comparison.

Pauline & Peter (1-888-TEMPO-03)
Quick Step by JT and Tomas

Uh, I hate trying to evaluate the Quick Steps. Even after all these years, I don’t know all the ins and outs of the dance. I was able to pick out some technical issues, but I was so brought into the story that I didn’t care.  Again, the dance didn’t get me on my feet (then again with my back issues, it would take a lot to get me on my feet. HA!) but I enjoyed it enough. But someone please tell Peter to stop making that horrendous devil/stud move. It makes him look like an asshat and it makes me like him less. I can’t be the only one.

Adam admitted that like me, he can’t evaluate the technical side, but he commented that the story was so big that it might have given them an edge. Ballroom expert Mary Murphy said that they did well.  There were technical issues but she praised them for their performance, and was somewhat forgiving given that it was a Quick Step done by a tapper and a contemporary dancer. “Train wreck” avoided.  Nigel pointed out many technical issues but said he didn’t care at all because the performance was so great. And the voting public votes for performance. “The accessibility of the routines makes people pick up telephones”, said Nigel.

Kathryn & Legacy (1-888-TEMPO-04)
Broadway by Andy Blankenbeuhler

I’ll be honest, there are a few couples that are really standing out to me this season but none more than Kathryn & Legacy. Legacy has really surprised me this season. I know he’ll have his slip ups but until then, he continues to be his fabulous self. He not only danced tonight’s routine fabulously but he brought that extra something to his character and performance. I’ll be honest, I hardly watch Kathryn as my eyes were glued to Legacy the entire time.  Very exciting performance! YAY!

The judges: Adam struggled seeing Kathryn’s character. He said the performance was “adorable”. The Shankman once again praised Legacy and his growth. He offered up some great criticism for Legacy to work with. But he was definitely impressed.  Mary said the characters and the choreography were great but the chemistry was a little off.  She said Kathryn got a little lost because Legacy is drawing some much attention. Nigel too was a little disappointed in Kathryn saying her movement looked a bit “childish”. Nigel said the show was turning a street dancer into a complete dancer. He said Legacy was an inspiration.YES!!!

Channing & Victor (1-888-TEMPO-05)
Contemporary by Stacey Tookey

These two might be first time dancers, but they are both Contemporary dancers performing a Contemporary routine, so they have a very small margin for error. Stacey Tookey has already proved herself as a brilliant Contemporary choreographer. My expectations are very high, and I think they should be. As for the dance itself, I absolutely loved it. So beautiful! Their lines were very beautiful I really felt the connection between the two dancers.  So wonderful. I didn’t think it was as special as last week’s Contemporary routine with Kathryn & Legacy, but it was fantastic. No complaints from me.

The Judges: Adam commented on the “sensitivity and the quality of the movement.” Mary said they “did a tremendous job.” It didn’t take her to a level that touched her soul, but she certainly had so many good things to say about the dance. Nigel said given their circumstances they had to be good.  He wasn’t emotionally carried away by either of them, but technically it was good. He warned that since they’ve just pulled Choreography they have a tough road ahead of them because they will be dancing out of their element until they pull Contemporary again.

Ellenore & Ryan (1-888-TEMPO-06)
Hip Hop by Lil C

This is my other favorite couple in the competition. I think they’ve done so well so far in the competition, but last week’s Argentine Tango was so beyond fabulous that my expectations are one again very high. I found myself telling the tale of Ellenore’s caught dress throughout this past week.  Still impressed. They are both fantastic technical dancers, that I have some reservations about tonight’s hip hop routine. After watching the dance, what disappointed me most wasn’t Ryan’s dancing as much as it was how much the pre-vid focused on his faults. Seeing that first made me that much more aware of it while dancing. I don’t think I would have noticed his lack of “swagga” if they didn’t point it out as much. That being said, the dance wasn’t great, but it definitely wasn’t horrible either. Maybe I’m biased, but I thought Ryan did so much more than I expected.  Well done.  Ellenore had it all working for her tonight.

The judges: Adam called Ryan “the most transformed dancer of the night”. He said the dance was not great but it was very good. Mary agreed on the good not great angle. Nigel said the dance wasn’t good at all tonight. He said neither of their personalities suited this style. He said they were just both dancing and you just can’t do that with hip hop. He said they pulled the worst genre given their specialties. Nigel is worried about them for tomorrow’s result show. I’m not worried.  Even if they have to dance for their lives, I really don’t think the judges would send them home given what they’ve done to date.

Mollee & Nathan (1-888-TEMPO-07)
Salsa by Gustavo Vargas

Team Tigerbeat is up next. How did I not know that Mollee is deaf in one ear? Did I miss that during Vegas Week?  I feel like the producers would have exploited that to the hilt. Uh oh, the pre-vid lets us know that Mollee is going to sexified tonight. can she handle it? Can I? Well I think she was much sexier than Channing was last week.  And I do think this was the most mature Mollee has ever looked on stage. But on the whole the dance didn’t really touch me. I felt like I saw them trying way too much on the stage.

The Judges: Adam said the dance exposed all their weaknesses. He told the audience to get prepared to Boo (which they did but not enthusiastically.) Mary said it wasn’t sexified but it was french fried. Like Adam, Mary kept commenting on how much she loved the pair and how they were a fan favorite.  I think that’s true and I don’t think they will be in the bottom two even if they deserve to be.  Nigel said they didn’t feel each other and they didn’t feel the music.  He said their chemistry was missing for the first time. He hopes they learned tonight that they aren’t great at everything, and on the whole it was a lesson that a lot of dancers learned this week. Ouch.

Noelle & Russell (1-888-TEMPO-08)
Afro Jazz by Sean Cheeseman

It’s going to be an interesting night for this last couple. Noelle had to dance for her life last week although her partner, Russell, did not. Can the Contemporary dancer and the Krumper pull it off? The choreographer seems to think so.  Me, I thought it was interesting from beginning to end. Kind of all over the place and hard to evaluate, but I liked what I saw.  Some really great moments.  Russell tutting was very cool.  And their combo backovers were amazing!  The pair of them had my attention from beginning to end. Russell really stood out tonight and I thought he was slightly better than Noelle, but she really kept up with him time. He was just so in it that it was hard not to notice how special he was tonight.

The Judges: Adam said he “had a fantastic time watching it.”  Mary said it was “crazy good!” And as the train came around the corner, it was Russell who jumped on the hot tamale train tonight. Nigel said it was the first time he saw Afro Jazz?  Really? Because I’ve seen it more than a few times on this show in routines by Wade, Tyce and Mia. Hmm. Nigel said that so far Russell is “the star of the season”. He said he was glad Noelle scraped by last week and he was glad she did because he loved what she did tonight.  Much love all around from the judges.

The Judges Final Evaluation

Nigel and Adam thought Ellenore & Ryan could be in trouble. Adam and Mary also both mentioned it could be Mollee & Nathan. But it’s really up to the viewers vote, and we all know that viewers don’t vote based solely on tonight’s performance. They vote for the dancers they’ve liked the most all season long.  And since this is the first time the public can vote, they are going to be voicing their opinions from the auditions through tonight. It seemed that Cat went to the judges because they had a minute or two to spare, but I hope we avoid that in the future as I think it has the potential to influence voters in a negative way.  It points out negatives, which could work against the dancers, but it also points out which couples need more votes than others.

My Votes…

Tonight the couples that will get me to pick up the phone in celebration of their performance are…

• Kathryn & Legacy
• Ashleigh & Jakob
• Noelle & Russell
• Channing & Victor

My pity votes will go to Ellenore & Ryan. I don’t think they did well tonight, but the competition would be worse off if this pair were gone.

I think after tonight Mollee & Nathan, Ellenore & Ryan and Pauline & Peter deserve to be in the bottom three, but I’m not sure who will be there.  It’s so tough to say at this point, because this is the first time we are really getting a feel for fan favorites.

Really tough for me to say who I would like to see go home.  It’s just so early. But if I had to vote, based on everything I’ve seen thus far, I think I’d like to send Channing & Victor home.  Oh, or maybe Peter & Pauline.  See I can’t do it.

The phone lines are open and so are the comments.  There is just so much to talk about tonight. I hope you have a lot to share as well.

Special thanks to MJSBigBlog.com and Rickey.org their readers for posting the videos.