S01.E06: Top Five - Mask the Night Away!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

The final five dancers compete for their shot at the semifinals.

Original air date: 2/3/21

Edited February 10, 2021 by ElectricBoogaloo

[Toonces464]

How come every time they shot to the judges table they were all sitting in different seats? The continuity on this show is awful.

[realdancemom]

12 hours ago, Toonces464 said:

How come every time they shot to the judges table they were all sitting in different seats? The continuity on this show is awful.

I noticed that on this episode, BAG was sitting to the far left instead of the far right and the other judges were sitting in different places than normal.  They must have filmed with their usual seats and then did some footage with the new seating. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I wasn't expecting Exotic Bird to be Jordin Sparks. I thought it was cute that she used Opposites Attract. That just leaves Zebra to be eliminated before we get down to the three best dancers (two of which have been all but identified by the various clues over the past few weeks - I'll be shocked if Sloth and Tulip aren't Maks Chmerkovskiy and Mackenzie Ziegler).

Cotton Candy definitely has some kind of dance/gymnastics/ice skating experience. Her grand jeté was beautiful (although her switch leap later wasn't perfect which makes me think she's not a gymnast).

Mayim Bialik was a decent judge. I prefer when the judges have some logical reasons for their guesses, as opposed to the regular panel who keep insisting that Cotton Candy is Simone Biles despite all evidence to the contrary.

Paula is in the lead with her correct guesses. I know she definitely chose Jordin and Brian McKnight. I thought she had a correct guess in one of the early rounds too. BAG guessed Elizabeth Smart and Ken guessed Bill Nye. Is Ashley the only one who hasn't guessed correctly yet?

[realdancemom]

1 hour ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I wasn't expecting Exotic Bird to be Jordin Sparks.

Cotton Candy definitely has some kind of dance/gymnastics/ice skating experience. Her grand jeté was beautiful (although her switch leap later wasn't perfect which makes me think she's not a gymnast).

Mayim Bialik was a decent judge. I prefer when the judges have some logical reasons for their guesses, as opposed to the regular panel who keep insisting that Cotton Candy is Simone Biles despite all evidence to the contrary.

The only reason why I thought of Jordin Sparks when Paula mentioned her a few weeks ago was because I figured the bird was a singer but not a dancer.  She was a decent concert type dancer.  She is also tall which is why I didn't think the bird was JLo and definitely not Shakira.  Plus Shakira is a great dancer.  Other than that, I'm not really good with clues.  This week, I thought Jordin was better than the zebra.

I thought the same as you that Cotton Candy's grand jete was beautiful but her switch leap wasn't.  You can also tell that she could have taken ballet to help with her main talent but she's not a ballet dancer.  I said the same thing about MacKenzie.  The original Dance Mom kids took ballet as one of their classes but it wasn't their focus.

If I was going to guess a gymnast for Cotton Candy, it would be Nastia who does have a leaner build than somebody like Simone.  She also was in the Olympics awhile ago so maybe that's why her switch leap isn't that great anymore.  But Cotton Candy's mannerisms is not like Nastia.  Ice skaters or an ice dancer like Meryl Davis are other guesses.  I started naming a few but then cleared my guesses because there were too many choices. 

[Toonces464]

7 hours ago, realdancemom said:

If I was going to guess a gymnast for Cotton Candy, it would be Nastia who does have a leaner build than somebody like Simone.  She also was in the Olympics awhile ago so maybe that's why her switch leap isn't that great anymore.  But Cotton Candy's mannerisms is not like Nastia.  Ice skaters or a o

I thought of Meryl too, but the clues don't fit.

I'm really enjoying Maks but I feel like he's using too much humor, and not dancing to his full potential, probably because he's trying to not make it obvious he's a professional dancer (which he's failed to do). We're almost at the end, so now is the time to just let loose and show them what you can do to try to win this thing. 

[MsTree]

One thing we should all remember while critiquing the dancers is that it can't be easy with these heavy costumes and giant heads that probably obstruct their peripheral vision. IOW, no matter how well-trained, how professional, and perfect they are "normally", there's going to be a handicap (and possible room for error) when dancing with these weighted items on their back & face.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

17 hours ago, realdancemom said:

If I was going to guess a gymnast for Cotton Candy, it would be Nastia who does have a leaner build than somebody like Simone.  She also was in the Olympics awhile ago so maybe that's why her switch leap isn't that great anymore.  But Cotton Candy's mannerisms is not like Nastia. 

Cotton Candy has a lot of "tee hee" type mannerisms during judging that are the antithesis of Nastia. The other reason I never thought it was Nastia is that even though she's only 5'3", she always moved like someone much taller (if that makes sense). Cotton Candy moves like a short person. I was going through some of the short gymnasts in my mind like Shawn Johnson and Dominique Moceanu and thinking about their old floor routines to see if they seemed like they could be Cotton Candy. Most of the newer generation gymnasts don't have that balletic quality to their dance the way Cotton Candy does.

[realdancemom]

3 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Cotton Candy has a lot of "tee hee" type mannerisms during judging that are the antithesis of Nastia. The other reason I never thought it was Nastia is that even though she's only 5'3", she always moved like someone much taller (if that makes sense). Cotton Candy moves like a short person. I was going through some of the short gymnasts in my mind like Shawn Johnson and Dominique Moceanu and thinking about their old floor routines to see if they seemed like they could be Cotton Candy. Most of the newer generation gymnasts don't have that balletic quality to their dance the way Cotton Candy does.

Yes, that's what I meant by Cotton Candy's mannerisms not matching Nastia.  Cotton Candy acts cutesy and coy which Nastia isn't.  Nastia does have ballet training which is another reason why I thought of her but nope on the mannerisms.  Some of the newer gymnasts' feet drive me crazy.  They're trying to point them but they also curl their toes.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

42 minutes ago, realdancemom said:

Some of the newer gymnasts' feet drive me crazy.  They're trying to point them but they also curl their toes.

The toe curling drives me crazy because they aren't straightening their ankles/feet. You can't just leave your foot flopping around and think that curling your toes under a little bit counts as pointing anything. Cotton Candy has been encumbered by some of the shoes she's worn but it's clear that she's still trying to point her feet which is another reason why I don't think she's a more recent gymnast.

[realdancemom]

14 hours ago, Toonces464 said:

I thought of Meryl too, but the clues don't fit.

I'm really enjoying Maks but I feel like he's using too much humor, and not dancing to his full potential, probably because he's trying to not make it obvious he's a professional dancer (which he's failed to do). We're almost at the end, so now is the time to just let loose and show them what you can do to try to win this thing. 

I want to see Maks do Latin.  I was disappointed that Hammerhead did the paso instead of Maks.  We've also seen zebra do Latin.  It's time for Maks to really shine.

[realdancemom]

4 minutes ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

The toe curling drives me crazy because they aren't straightening their ankles/feet. You can't just leave your foot flopping around and think that curling your toes under a little bit counts as pointing anything. Cotton Candy has been encumbered by some of the shoes she's worn but it's clear that she's still trying to point her feet which is another reason why I don't think she's a more recent gymnast.

When I see Cotton Candy acting cute and coy, I think of McKayla Maroney but she is a more recent gymnast.  Since I mostly saw her vaulting, I don't recall whether she curled her toes. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

The other reason I think that Cotton Candy has had ballet training is her hands. One of the judges pointed it out this week. A lot of more recent gymnasts have more of a claw with splayed fingers but Cotton Candy has softer more balletic hands.

[BoogieBurns]

Tulip is Mackenzie Ziegler, even if you don't know who that is. She was holding a bag of Lays potato chips as a super clue this week. While on Dance Moms, Mackenzie's most famous line was "I want to stay at home and eat chips." Later posing with a bag of Lays. It's going to be quite awkward if Ashley Tisdale doesn't guess her, because NO ONE else will know her. She has 20 million tik tok followers, and Ashley is the only judge who has any clue who is famous there. Also, Mack lays low. Her sis is the famous one, and she's not close to a household name to this audience.

My money is on Ashley guessing correctly this week before Zebra gets eliminated to give people a week to google who the heck Mack is. Maybe she'll dance to a Sia song to help the guesses lean towards a Ziegler. 

[realdancemom]

6 hours ago, BoogieBurns said:

Tulip is Mackenzie Ziegler, even if you don't know who that is. She was holding a bag of Lays potato chips as a super clue this week. While on Dance Moms, Mackenzie's most famous line was "I want to stay at home and eat chips." Later posing with a bag of Lays. It's going to be quite awkward if Ashley Tisdale doesn't guess her, because NO ONE else will know her. She has 20 million tik tok followers, and Ashley is the only judge who has any clue who is famous there. Also, Mack lays low. Her sis is the famous one, and she's not close to a household name to this audience.

My money is on Ashley guessing correctly this week before Zebra gets eliminated to give people a week to google who the heck Mack is. Maybe she'll dance to a Sia song to help the guesses lean towards a Ziegler. 

I loved that potato chip line.  The other funny one was when Vivi-Anne cut her finger and then wondered if she could still dance.  Young ones say the funniest/cutest things.  It's best when kids are not scripted.

ETA - On The Masked Singer, I believe Jenny and maybe somebody else guessed Jojo.  Nick also knew it was her because he worked with her.  Jojo has tons of energy so once somebody knew that it was somebody from Dance Moms, Jojo was the obvious choice based on how she acts.

Edited February 6, 2021 by realdancemom

[Toonces464]

7 hours ago, realdancemom said:

I want to see Maks do Latin.  I was disappointed that Hammerhead did the paso instead of Maks.  We've also seen zebra do Latin.  It's time for Maks to really shine.

Same! It's been fun watching him do other styles, but I really want to see something Latin.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

11 hours ago, BoogieBurns said:

Tulip is Mackenzie Ziegler, even if you don't know who that is. She was holding a bag of Lays potato chips as a super clue this week. While on Dance Moms, Mackenzie's most famous line was "I want to stay at home and eat chips." Later posing with a bag of Lays. It's going to be quite awkward if Ashley Tisdale doesn't guess her, because NO ONE else will know her. She has 20 million tik tok followers, and Ashley is the only judge who has any clue who is famous there. Also, Mack lays low. Her sis is the famous one, and she's not close to a household name to this audience.

My money is on Ashley guessing correctly this week before Zebra gets eliminated to give people a week to google who the heck Mack is. Maybe she'll dance to a Sia song to help the guesses lean towards a Ziegler. 

Paula knows how Maddie is so I'm sure she knows who Mackenzie is too. I never watched Dance Moms (I have an aversion to competition studios, I can't stand stage moms, and I don't like to watch people yelling at children) but even I know who Maddie and Mackenzie are so I am certain that Paula and Ashley both know about Mackenzie. I think in the first few weeks, it can be hard to narrow down your guesses since it could be literally anyone in the world.

[BoogieBurns]

On 2/5/2021 at 6:01 PM, realdancemom said:

I loved that potato chip line.

It's how I answer anytime someone asks why I'm not dating (even pre covid). 

21 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Paula knows how Maddie is so I'm sure she knows who Mackenzie is too. I never watched Dance Moms (I have an aversion to competition studios, I can't stand stage moms, and I don't like to watch people yelling at children) but even I know who Maddie and Mackenzie are so I am certain that Paula and Ashley both know about Mackenzie. I think in the first few weeks, it can be hard to narrow down your guesses since it could be literally anyone in the world.

Okay, good. I know Maddie is quite well known, but I haven't heard a peep about Mackenzie since I stopped watching the show (pre Jojo). Except on TikTok. Paula will likely guess a Ziegler. You're definitely right. 

[BoogieBurns]

On 2/5/2021 at 6:01 PM, realdancemom said:

ETA - On The Masked Singer, I believe Jenny and maybe somebody else guessed Jojo.  Nick also knew it was her because he worked with her.  Jojo has tons of energy so once somebody knew that it was somebody from Dance Moms, Jojo was the obvious choice based on how she acts.

Jojo is a force all on her own. Also, she's so tall and hyper. Mackenzie is chill and has a very common body type. To my knowledge, no clothing lines or anything either. But again, I only know what happens in my bubble. Maybe everyone knows Mack and I'm just projecting my Jan Brady-ness on her lol.

[realdancemom]

On 2/5/2021 at 11:07 PM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Paula knows how Maddie is so I'm sure she knows who Mackenzie is too. I never watched Dance Moms (I have an aversion to competition studios, I can't stand stage moms, and I don't like to watch people yelling at children) but even I know who Maddie and Mackenzie are so I am certain that Paula and Ashley both know about Mackenzie. I think in the first few weeks, it can be hard to narrow down your guesses since it could be literally anyone in the world.

I started watching Dance Moms since my daughters watched it.  My user name came from this show since my daughters took dance.  They started at competition studios but preferred going to a ballet academy.  They quit watching the show because of all the drama.  They wanted to watch dance not that.

You reminded me that both Paula and Maddie were judges on SYTYCD:  The Next Generation so Paula does know Maddie. 

16 hours ago, BoogieBurns said:

It's how I answer anytime someone asks why I'm not dating (even pre covid). 

Okay, good. I know Maddie is quite well known, but I haven't heard a peep about Mackenzie since I stopped watching the show (pre Jojo). Except on TikTok. Paula will likely guess a Ziegler. You're definitely right. 

Staying home and eating chips can sometimes be more fun than going out on a date.  😄

MacKenzie was a contestant on DWTS:  Juniors.  It was weird because one of the kid "pros" was a newer Dance Mom kid but then MacKenzie is a contestant.  You can't even say that it was because of ballroom because Eliana (the kid pro) wasn't a ballroom dancer either.  The show said that MacKenzie was a singer but she was first known as a dancer.

[Nilo]

I'm still thinking Tara Lipinski for Cotton Candy.  

 

Maybe I just want it to be Tara Lipinski...

[BoogieBurns]

On 2/5/2021 at 12:33 PM, BoogieBurns said:

My money is on Ashley guessing correctly this week before Zebra gets eliminated to give people a week to google who the heck Mackenzie is. 

I can see the future!