Thursday, June 16, 2011

So You Think You Can Dance Recap: The Top 20 Perform!

For my live play-by-play of last night's episode you can click this link http://backstagebarbie.blogspot.com/2011/06/so-you-think-you-can-dance-june-15th.html
Here are my favorite performance from last night in order.

1) Melanie & Marko Contemporary: I am very critical of Travis Wall's choreography normally but I have to give credit where credit is due and this was an extraordinary piece of art. The statue theme will be memorable for seasons to come and it was beautifully danced to boot.

2) Clarice & Jess Broadway: I've always loved Tyce Diorio's Broadway pieces and this Me & My Baby number was another great one. Jess has three Broadway credits and he was darn near perfect. Clarice didn't quite rise to his level and missed some of the nuances and precision that Jess nailed, but it was a solid and entertaining routine nonetheless. They should be safe tonight.

3) Ryan & Ricky Lyrial Hip Hop: I love this style, though Chris Scott doesn't hold a candle to NappyTabs. I have loved Ryan since last season when she was cut last minute and these two had amazing chemistry. The judges criticized her for smiling too much but when she explained the concept to the judges they understood her motives. If the dancer has to explain a concept to the judges then that is a discredit to the choreographer. These are all-star choreographers and they should be able to clearly communicate their message through their dancers. I think these two will be audience favorites and shouldn't be in any danger tonight.

4) Iveta & Nick Quickstep: I cannot believe I'm putting a Quickstep in my top four routines but this was great. Iveta is a world champion in this dance so I wasn't worried about her but Nick truly rose to her level. Though he had to learn the ballroom posture, he is a tapper so the footwork came pretty naturally to him. They were well suited as partners and choreographer Jason Gilkerson chose a great song, Ballroom Blitz, to make it as exciting as possible. Though I thought it was a solid routine, I predict America will put it in the bottom 3 but as long as they don't blow their solos, I'm almost positive the judges will save these two. 

5) Sasha & Alexander Contemporary: This was one of those Travis Wall pieces I didn't like because it was about a broken relationship like most of his work. This piece showed Sasha off beautifully and she is just so strong....like a dancing Xena. Her emotion was spot on but Alexander looked vacant, though her body lines were stunning. His dancing is great, but he needs to work more on connecting his body and his face. This routine should leave them safe after the results are read.

6) Jordan & Tadd Afro Jazz: I like this piece because it was aggressive and it gave the dancers a chance to show just how much they want to be there because they had to truly commit to the movement to do it properly. This proved that Jordan & Tadd are tough dancers and you can throw anything at them. This high-energy piece was likely an audience pleaser and they should be safe.

7) Melissa & Wadi Jazz: I did not like the choreography of this Sean Cheeseman jazz piece because there wasn't any choreography. It was a lot of leg tricks from Melissa & b-boy stunts from Wadi masquerading as a dance. Sean's "pandora's box of sexy demons" theme was just tacky and much too elaborate to develop properly in such a short routine. I would personally put this in the bottom 3 but I'm assuming that it probably got a lot of votes from America because it was flashy and showy.

8) Caitlynn & Mitchell (Robert): Mitchell was unfortunately injured this week and last season's Robert had to stand in for him. This was rather unfortunate for Caitlynn as she seemed to struggle next to Robert, especially because he does Sonya's work so well. She doesn't yet have his polish or precision but she had great energy and performance. Mitchell is automatically in the bottom 3 so it will be interesting to see what happens to Caitlynn.

9) Miranda & Robert Jive: These dancers were victims of situation because they were one of the few pairs who didnt' draw their own style. They did their best and the energy was good but they struggled with unison and with the intricacies of the footwork and leg placement. I suspect this will put them in the bottom 3.

10) Ashley & Chris Hip Hop: I do not like what I've seen so far of Christopher Scott's work and I think his concepts are trite & underdeveloped. This piece explored the overused theme of "cheating" and the comedic aspect made it seem silly. The choreography was so elementary and did not show off what the dancers are capable of. This piece should be in the bottom 3, though it is not the fault of the dancers. They were victims of poor material.


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