S11.E09: Top 16 Perform, 2 Eliminated

[Tara Ariano]

The Top 16 dancers perform, but two contestants are eliminated. Misty Copeland is the guest judge. Also: Lucy Hale ("Pretty Little Liars") performs "Lie a Little Better" from her debut album, "Road Between."

[susannot]

I think Ricky and Rudy both look like hobbits.

[Ladybugnine]

ITA about Ricky! I totally get Hobbit vibes from him! His arms are super long, in contrast to his short-to-nonexistent torso.

I'm still confused between Rudy and Emilio.

[callie lee 29]

My fave (Marquette) is going home. They just do not like him! And how that foxtrot was worse than the mess of a Bollywood number in the beginning I do not understand.

[Ladybugnine]

it's too soon for me to really pay attention to this show at this point. Everyone  looks the same to me: Some guys look like hobbits, and most of the girls are long, wavy/curly haired brunettes. 

[susannot]

I thought Marquet had an elegant, graceful, Astaire like dance. I voted for him. I much prefer an elegant foxtrot to yet another maudlin contemp number.

 

Must say though, that with Nina Simone and a goth Amy Winehouse, they've had some good musical numbers on tonight.

Edited July 24, 2014 by susannot

[callie lee 29]

So far I disagree with pretty much everything the judges have said tonight. The only thing good about that Sonia Taig number was Zach. It's Sonia Taig, so half my brain switches off (oh look, another angst filled dance that has nothing to do with what they just explained it's about), and as much as I'm rooting for Jacque (mainly because I want more ballet), she just was not good. But goth with Beyonce? Who would have thought?

 

ETA: ...and sorry Nigel, I've thought the men have been outperforming the women for a few seasons now.

Edited July 24, 2014 by callie lee 29

[Dejajeva]

That older looking Natasha Lyonne lookalike who dances with Teddy should go before anyone else does- and they wont send either Bridget or Tanisha even though they should also go.

 

I'm not feeling anyone in this whole season I don't think except I think Valerie is adorable. Wish she was a better dancer. Oh! I do like Zach!

Edited July 24, 2014 by Dejajeva

[susannot]

Can't stand Tanisha either, but the judges seemed to love her.  

[Dejajeva]

Did I miss Valerie in the group routines? Was she in the first one? Nevermind, I rewound.

 

I'll never be able to look at Aria the same way again, you guys. :( Poor Lucy Hale.

Edited July 24, 2014 by Dejajeva

[mojoween]

Who is Carly? Has she been here the whole time?

I can't have nice things. Marcquet, I loved him so. I loved all of his performances tonight but as soon as Mary started criticizing him I knew he was a goner. I also said to my husband before any of the judges opened their yaps that Marcquet was going to get all the criticism and Jessica was going to get "wow you were so amazing and that was not your style you are wonderful I am so impressed." Ugh.

Jessica is partner death, y'all.

[susannot]

Marquet was great, but he is still very young.  Isn't he 19? I am convinced we will see him, eventually, as a pro dancer on DWTS.  They need a hot, sexy, tall  black guy who can partner well.  Dmitri was also a tall sexy guy who got cut early-ish, as I recall, but has obviously gone on to do well.

[EyesGlazed]

Some standout routines tonight:  the Bridget-Emilio "monkey on my back" dance was terrific and they both danced it well especially Bridget; the Tanisha-Rudy jazz was pretty great too.  The opening routine was good too except for the use of some sh**ty cover version of "Take Me to the River" - would have been much better if they'd used the Talking Heads original.  Although I generally love Sonya, the half-group routine she choreographed didn't grab me, in fact it reminded me of college kids hung over after a kegger.  Maybe that's just me.

 

Goodbye, Marquette.  Sad because he was so attractive and elegant.  But he really did not bring the performance in his routines like the other guys are doing.

Goodbye, Brooklyn.  Sad because she was not the least-good dancer among the girls.

 

Cat looked especially lovely tonight.  That gray sparkly dress looked so elegant on her, and her shoes were killer.  I want those shoes.  

 

Is is a sad commentary that my favorite routine of the season so far is still Marie Poppins' audition?

[kechara]

I don't know. Ricky is a good dancer, probably better than I can tell, but he's just so elven and leaping around in that Bollywood, I just smirked. I know there are big flaws in Valerie's dancing but she seems so joyful. I like that about her.

 

I could see Emily go. I have not been a Tanisha fan but I though she did well in the group thing.  I preferred Sonja's group number to her other number but costuming may have had something to do with that too. What the hell..

 

First time in a while that I didn't hate the Travis number.

 

I thought last week they were prepping the bus for Marquette. Then they got ballroom and I thought I was wrong. But no...great big bus

[Lindsey]

Oh, Mandy Moore and your music choices.  Thank you for throwing a bone to those of us who are actually old enough to buy beer. @susannot, I totally agree that it was great to hear Nina Simone.  I love it when the choreographers choose classics (not that Jewel is a classic, but hey, I like some cheesy nostalgia, too). No problem with contemporary pop and hip hop, it's just nice to get some variety.

 

The judges really need to stop telegraphing their eliminations.  It strips the show of whatever credibility it might have when they don't even try to pretend that they haven't decided who's out ahead of time.

[susannot]

Oh, Mandy Moore and your music choices.  Thank you for throwing a bone to those of us who are actually old enough to buy beer. @susannot, I totally agree that it was great to hear Nina Simone.  I love it when the choreographers choose classics (not that Jewel is a classic, but hey, I like some cheesy nostalgia, too). No problem with contemporary pop and hip hop, it's just nice to get some variety.

 

The judges really need to stop telegraphing their eliminations.  It strips the show of whatever credibility it might have when they don't even try to pretend that they haven't decided who's out ahead of time.

YESSS!  "I put a spell on you"  is just genius, like so many of Nina's classics. Love her.

[ElleryAnne]

I knew Brooklyn was gone the minute they said she was in the bottom three.  I wasn't sure Marcquet would be, but I'm not really surprised given their comments to Zack and Serge. Sorry to lose Marcquet, if only as eye candy.  Funny they've been parallel ever since they auditioned together.  Too bad they didn't get paired together; maybe they would've been a bit stronger with a more familiar partner.

 

Of tonight's dances, I guess Tanisha and Rudy's was my favorite.  Good moves in it, especially on her part.  Thought the red shoes was a good touch.  I liked Zack and Jacque's number, too.  I think they've got great chemistry, even though the judges don't seem to agree with me.

 

I love Bollywood numbers, but I didn't think Valerie and Ricky were terribly strong in it.  I felt like it needed more energy, and Valerie's moves in particular didn't look as sharp as I wanted them to.  Ditto Brooklyn and Casey's hip-hop number. 

 

 

Jessica and Marcquet - I wouldn't even have recognized that as a foxtrot, but they both looked absolutely gorgeous in it.

Speaking of gorgeous, Dmitry gets better looking every damn day.

 

Carly and Serge - I barely noticed him, but she was fantastic.  She had a wonderful pirouette in there, and I agree with Misty that that hinge Carly did at the end was fabulous.

 

Teddy and Emily's salsa didn't impress me, but kudos to Emily.  If I'd had a dislocated shoulder, I don't think I'd get out there and dance that well within 24 hours, slip or no slip.

 

Bridget and Emilio's number was very good technically, but I wasn't connecting to it.  

 

Both group numbers were okay but neither has me running to rewatch a hundred times.  I get a kick out of Sonya's dramatic thank-you gestures to the dancers and the judges.  

 

I'm bummed that we're losing four dancers next week.  If I had to make a guess, I'd say Jessica, Emily, Teddy and Serge are gone.  But I'm only right at guessing about a quarter of the time, so three of them are probably safe.

[Heather Lynn]

First time in a long while that I really loved a Travis number. I will re-watch that one. I missed the babbling explanation and still understood the performance. I shouldn't need a syllabus to enjoy a 2 minute performance.

Thanks Misty for telling Nigel what is extra obvious this season...the guys are far superior. This year there's not even a couple of girls to really root for. That said, I'm warming up to Tanisha. I loved this week's number even if it did look like a college student was dancing with her junior high school brother.

Forgot to mention: While I love Dimitri, he should just leave since Nigel manages to insult him every time he's choreographed the past several seasons.

Edited July 25, 2014 by Heather Lynn

[burntheflaws]

Some thoughts about tonight's episode:

 

- So happy Emilio got a contemporary routine! He didn't shine as much, and Bridget killed it (well yeah, contemporary) but he was a really strong partner. I liked this.

 

- I didn't think Teddy had it in him, but he pulled out some great body rolls and movement for that salsa. Can't get over that David Bowie face though.

 

- Tanisha was fantastic in that hip-hop routine. I'm really warming to her. She's such a hard worker and it shows in her performances. Rudy wasn't quite at that level but he had the charisma to somewhat pull it off.

 

- Not a fan of the Brooklyn/Casey hip-hop routine, but I'm excited about the choreographer, WilldaBeast. I've never seen his work before but he looks like he'll add to the hard-hitting hip-hop performances. Not that I don't enjoy the occasional lyrical or happy, cute hip-hop, but I need some more down-to-the-floor, nitty gritty pieces.

 

- Both of the mini-group routines were great. Although I feel like Sonya's was probably technically better, Travis's routine is the one I'd rewatch. And I did, in fact, rewind on my DVR to do just that. Ricky was giving me major Mark vibes in some of his moves and expressions, and that's saying a lot because Mark is one of my favorite SYTYCD dancers.

 

- Marcquet was one of my favorite guys but I knew the jig was up when he landed in the bottom. Brooklyn was a definite goner, but I was holding out hope for Marcquet... damn.

 

Emilio's my #1 until he eventually gets eliminated, but this episode has really helped me realize who my other favorites are. I'm pulling for Ricky and Zack for the guys. As for the girls, Valerie was my favorite girl going into the lives but surprisingly I think my favorite girls so far are Carly (despite the endless giggling, she is a beautiful dancer who can put all that aside) and Tanisha (who I did not like at all going into the lives). That being said, I do agree that the guys are far superior to the girls.

 

P.S. I've been trying to figure out who Zack reminds me of, and I had a lightbulb moment tonight. He's the Mad magazine mascot.

Edited July 24, 2014 by burntheflaws

[OakGoblinFly]

My fave (Marquette) is going home. They just do not like him! And how that foxtrot was worse than the mess of a Bollywood number in the beginning I do not understand.

 

 

I didn't see Valerie or Ricky fall out of their turns nor lean back on their heels so much so that their toes came off the ground.  Bollywood routines are always a challenge on this show and I thought Valerie and Ricky performed it well; their movements were crisp, they had good energy, and Valerie absolutely captured the sass of the routine.

 

I don't know if the foxtrot was too ambitious for Jessica (who looked lovely even if she didn't dance well) and Marquette (who has failed to impress me since not-Vegas week) or if the dancers were just that bad.  All I know I was I didn't like the routine; it felt labored, tentative, devoid of connection, and lacking in fluidity.

 

 

Please oh please Nigel, stop tooting your horn and praising mediocre choreography.  Did you stop to think for a moment that your golden ones haven't won an Emmy yet is because they're not as good as the competition and haven't deserved it.

 

The opening number was kinda okay for me; I didn't love it yet I didn't dislike it.  I did notice that Teddy was front and center for a good portion of it.

 

Some of the musical choices were flat out odd; while Sonya Tayeh and Bjork make a good pair I thought the Beyonce version Back to Black was a horrid choice; it made it very difficult for me to connect to Zach and Jacque and their routine.

 

That Salsa was all kinds of wrong though I do think Teddy got it more than Emily did - at times he looked like he knew what he was doing.

 

I thought that the Travis piece for Emilo and Bridget was a bit over-wrought and designed as Emmy bait and while I didn't connect to the piece as much as the powers-that-be wanted me to I thought it was very well danced.

 

I was super impressed with Tanisha in her number; there were times when I was convinced she didn't have a single bone in her body.  I agree with Misty in that Tanisha was very sexy in that routine without being too in-your-face.  For a girl that grated on my nerves during not-Vegas week, she's quickly become my favorite.  It is amazing how she can turn it on for her routines - she certainly has that "it" factor when performing.

 

I like both group routines with a slight edge to Sonya.

I don't know. Ricky is a good dancer, probably better than I can tell, but he's just so elven and leaping around in that Bollywood, I just smirked. I know there are big flaws in Valerie's dancing but she seems so joyful. I like that about her.

 

I agree with your comments about Valerie; while some of the other girls are much better technicians I much prefer Valerie because of the joy of dance/movement she exudes during her routines. 

[Toaster Strudel]

Group Opening: Good grief, Mandy Moore, that was some boring choreo.  But it's OK, it's like the not-funny opening act at the comedy club.  Lots of writhing, just like we did back in the post-hippie 70's, which was the golden age of dance according to Nigel - not that he'd own up to it.

 

Yay!  Misty's back!  I love you Misty.

 

What, Tanisha isn't safe, but Rudy is?  She was wiping the floor with him, they had the sweet finale spot with the jidges going gaga over the routine, and she was left behind!  America got it wrong!

 

Valerie/Ricky - BOLLYWOOD

Ricky did all the dancing while Valerie was having her nails done.  Ricky did a HMS... Valerie couldn't match a HMV.  He did the jumps, he did the splits.  Valerie is soooo stuck to the ground, she's so clunky and her timing is so rough.  The Bollywood hand movements looked severely dumbed down.  Valerie Go Home!  Free Ricky!

 

Bridget/Emilio - TRAVIS FLAIL

Surprisingly good.  I knew Nigel would comment on Emilio pointing his toes.  But please.  It doesn't take a psychic to know the sun will rise again tomorrow morning.  Emilio reminds me of Legacy in terms of enthusiasm and surprising ability to cross genres.  His face is always entertaining.  He may or may not have a female partner, I didn't notice one.

 

Tanisha/Rudy - DAVE SCOTT HIP HOP

Rudy was absolutely awful, but I knew the jidges would lap it up.  It's like Rudy's farts smell like Chanel #5 to them.  Hey, does anyone else remember the stripper pole props everywhere?  I'm sure I saw them, because how else did Tanisha get the idea of dancing hip hop like she was slinking around the Bada Bing?  Little wonder she overshadowed Rudy the strip bar patron.  It's as if she was dancing, and he was just trying to slip a dollar in her G-string.  Mary, Mary, why did you have to bring back the Jacque showmance?  We all want to forget about it.

 

Jessica/Marcquet - FOX TROT OF DEATH

Jessica is still dead behind the eyes.  Was she bathed in Botox as a baby?  This was meh. Marcquet the Magnificent was tentative in that one.  Jessica was just something Marcquet had to lift and swing over and under, did she dance much at all?  Jessica was so dull and sloppy, she was almost in slow mo.  Like Uncle Nigel said... well at least hair and make up did 90% of the work for her tonight!  Goodbye Marcquet.

 

Carley/Serge - MANDY MOORE CONTEMP

Blech, what a waste of time, paint-by-number choreo.  As familiar and simple as Rice Krispies squares.  Very disappointed given how fantastic Carley was last week with the hip hop, Mandy gave her nothing.

 

Emily/TeddyBowie - SALSA

Teddy, oh my, he was da bomb!  Sharp, sexy, no movement unfinished, no loss of momentum, great energy and footwork.  I gave all my 20 votes to the camera crew that ran across the front of the stage.  Emily was a klutz on downers and she looked exhausted at the end of the minute and a half.  If you only looked at Teddy (who should have been wearing the sequins while Emily disappears in gray), this was a tremendously enjoyable routine.  Misty to Emily: "I am happy that you didn't fall apart" - well OK, if the bar for success has to be this low... good job Emily?

 

Jacque/Zack - SONYA JAZZ

I loved the music, RIP Amy Winehouse.  This was so stock-Sonya, I think I could have "choreographed" this piece myself.  Zack has serious goofy face, but hey, he's clearly the grandchild of Alfred E Neuman.  The dance left me unmoved.  Jacque dialed it in - at least Zack was trying.

 

Brooklyn/Casey - HIP HOP

Blech, what was that?  That looked like a great choreo, I really wanted to like this.  The gummy sneakers were distracting, but shorts over tights?  Please!  Maybe wardrobe thought the costumes worked well with their milquetoast hip hop.  So sloppy... and as flaily as hip hop can get.  I think if Nigel and Mary had tackled this it would have been better.  Maybe not.  I must be smoking crack, never mind.  Goodbye Brooklyn!

 

Group 1 - SONYA JAZZ

Filler much?  Thanks anyway, because this routine was poignant, authentic, poetic, inspiring, profound and exalted.  Perhaps this will be the routine of the season.  Broken people.  *sniff sniff*

 

Group 2 - TRAVIS YUCK

Hello 1978, Travis Wall wants back in and we won't miss him.

 

Interlude

Who was that dreadful singer with the dreadful song? I don't wanna know.

Edited July 24, 2014 by Toaster Strudel

[Bosman]

Well, that Bollywood will make exactly no one forget Katie and Joshua's. It seemed very dumbed down. I know Ricky is a good dancer, I just find him extremely annoying. Maybe it's the nonstop mugging. Valerie...girl is just slow and clunky, She always seemed at least a half beat behind and didn't even finish with the music. No matter. The judges are committed to praising this duo to high heaven.

[Steph01924]

Damn, we're losing 4 next week? I'm think definitely Emily and probably Teddy (though he was better than she was), Serge and Bridget. 

 

Didn't care too much about who went home tonight. I saw Marquette coming, and even though I really wanted to like him, he never really got me feeling much the last few weeks. Brooklyn was so dull. 

 

Bollywood - It was alright. They didn't wow me, but I didn't hate it. People keep saying Ricky is 'elvin' like he has any control over that and that it's a bad thing... Despite his 'small' stature, the boy can move. Yeah, maybe he's not as big and 'manly' as someone like Anthony from last season, but as we all know, dancing doesn't have to be one thing. Despite the producer push, I can believe he's got talent and he draws my eye. I liked him in this more than Valerie.

 

Contemporary - As someone above said, it was well-danced, but I didn't really connect with it as much as the producers may have wanted me to. But I was appreciative that it wasn't the same ole, same ole Travis moves. It looks like he was trying to channel some Mia. I didn't get the big giant bed-frame prop, but there were some really nice moves in this.

 

Foxtrot - There were some fun, sexy moves in it and I liked the song. I don't know much about foxtrot and I am guessing there weren't many 'foxtrot-y' moves in it. Not super memorable. Jessica really is a partner killer. I still like the way she dances, but she definitely doesn't completely connect with me. Maybe Casey will get something out of her. She's got to be better than the blahness he had in Brooklyn.

 

Hip-Hop - I'm annoyed by Rudy because he's impressing me when I don't want him to. :P I thought Tanisha looked gorgeous and sexy and hit all the right notes (though, I'm sorry, she is a bit of a butterface when they show the close ups after the dance. She has a beautiful body but she needs some bangs on that forehead!). Rudy did pull out some Usher moves. One of the few I'm looking forward to re-watching.

 

Contemporary - I liked it well enough; love the Jewel song but it felt short to me. I've enjoyed Carly for a while now (loved that last move). Serge just doesn't do it for me. I've never watched his dancing and found something unique that impressed me. I liked his sweater, once we saw it in the normal light.

 

Salsa - I really wish someone else performed this, because the choreography and the music looked like it could've been a really fun combo. I need to rewatch and just watch Teddy, but all I could focus on was the trainwreck of Emily dancing with Teddy, and the absolute lackluster energy that was exhibited. It was just SO blah. I think they should've gotten way more criticism than they did. (And David Bowie, YES. That is totally what he looks like! I've been wondering what it was.)

 

Jazz - I was really impressed with Zack! He's been one of my favorites since the African piece. He shined more than Jacque, but I still enjoyed her too. Out of all the girls, I think she and Tanisha are my favorites. There's just something about her personality when it comes out during her dancing that I enjoy. This was a fairly interesting piece, for a Sonya jazzy number. 

 

Hip-hop - I didn't even see Brooklyn. I was surprised she got so much praise when I thought Casey did way better. I think he and Carly (from last week's skeleton hip hop), they should get to do a hip hop number together. That would be fun to watch. 

 

The group routines were blah. It's not even worth remembering them.

 

Is it sad this the week I finally realized we wouldn't be having any guest judges and that Misty would be a permanent judge? I don't mind, because I do like listening to her critiques because they always seem useful and nuanced. I just skip through Nigel and only listen to Mary for the dances where her expertise comes into play. It's working quite well for me so far; haven't gotten really frustrated with the judges in a while.

 

Lucy Hale...honey, no.

Edited July 24, 2014 by Steph01924

[crossover]

They had worked so hard last week to make sure Marcquet would be in the bottom.  I think they were hoping this would save Serge since he really was awful last week.  Then, I had heard earlier about a new hip hop choreographer.  I began to think that Marcquet would get him so that he could save himself.  Afterall, he'd had two routines that were tailored for his partner.  I thought they would give him something that was tailored for him.  Plus, Jessica hadn't had hip hop.  But Serge ended in the bottom anyway.  This was his second time (latin ballroom and hip hop) and he's like a member of their family.  They had to justify saving him.  So they gave him another emotional contemp that Carly could carry him through.  Zack had no business being in the B3 boys and he's the only tapper.  They were probably suppose to get the foxtrot (he and Rudy were the only boys without ballroom) but they couldn't risk him being in the bottom next week.  SYTYCD viewers don't vote for foxtrots after a few weeks in (Danny and Anya).  So he got another jazz.  They couldn't risk giving Marcquet a hip hop routine because he'd be good at it and they had made up their minds to cut him.  They had already made up their minds to cut Brooklyn.  But they were hoping Casey wouldn't be good at it and would be in the B3 next week.  Teddy and Emily were also marked for B3 next week by getting the Salsa.  Bridget will probably be the other girl because of her fanbase.

Nigel is making it so easy for us to see his plan.  It really isn't fun anymore.  It just makes you angry that they shield their favorites and throw others under the bus.  And the guest judges eventually fall in line.  For instance, Was Ricky and Valerie really good in the bollywood?  No.  The sloppiest bollywood they've ever had on the show.  

Marquet was great, but he is still very young.  Isn't he 19? I am convinced we will see him, eventually, as a pro dancer on DWTS.  They need a hot, sexy, tall  black guy who can partner well.  Dmitri was also a tall sexy guy who got cut early-ish, as I recall, but has obviously gone on to do well.

I hope he doesn't go to DWTS.  I don't think he's strong enough in standard ballroom.  Remember what a hard time they gave Lacey during her first season?  His would be worse.  I never got to really see him do hip hop on the show but I think this is the dance form for him.

Edited July 24, 2014 by movement

[spanana]

 

So they gave him another emotional contemp that Carly could carry him through.

I wouldn't go that far.  I do agree that there is manipulation in terms of the dance assignments, so I'm not doubting that.  But I can't say that Carly carried Serge through their contemporary.  I find that Serge in general is too laid back of a presence on stage so he doesn't stand out in his own right, and my eyes generally go straight to Carly, but I think he does good work in these contemporary numbers.  He is a really good partner to Carly and in particular he's great with the lifts.   I would say Carly was the clear star of the routine, but I'm not going to pretend like Serge wasn't doing a good job in the routine.  The routine they were given was what was lackluster IMO.  That said, I think he's toast next week.

[crossover]

I wouldn't go that far.  I do agree that there is manipulation in terms of the dance assignments, so I'm not doubting that.  But I can't say that Carly carried Serge through their contemporary.  I find that Serge in general is too laid back of a presence on stage so he doesn't stand out in his own right, and my eyes generally go straight to Carly, but I think he does good work in these contemporary numbers.  He is a really good partner to Carly and in particular he's great with the lifts.   I would say Carly was the clear star of the routine, but I'm not going to pretend like Serge wasn't doing a good job in the routine.  The routine they were given was what was lackluster IMO.  That said, I think he's toast next week.

I saw one on the shoulder lift that I've seen a thousand times, even on DWTS.  The rest were really pick ups (really just holds after she lifts).  But he did them well.  The only way I see him as toast is if Rudy, Ricky, Emilio or Zack is part of the B3.  They tried to ensure that they wouldn't be.  So, I think Casey and Teddy have been earmarked. 

Edited July 24, 2014 by movement

[DHDancer]

I'm laughing so hard right now.  I'm watching the "mini-group" stuff and all that's going through my mind is the Danny Kaye dance "Doing Choreography"  -- a big dig at pretentious routines of the 50s (at the time), and wow, nothing's changed very much.  I enjoyed the earlier Sonia routine (despite myself) but the group dance was just awfully pretentious.

 

And I can't believe I'm going to say this, but i loved the Travis group number.  Upbeat ... get it Travis????

Edited July 24, 2014 by DHDancer

[inmyeyes]

Tanisha has really been growing on me and the hip-hop routine sealed for the deal for me. She nailed the character and the feel of it, and her body language was very convincing for me.I wish there was a bit more content in the choreography, but mannnn Tanisha sold it for me. Rudy was all right, but as always, I find there's a lack of nuance and dynamics in the quality of his movement.

 

Teddy looked like he was carting around a sack of potatoes. Yikes. Also, the position and placement of Emily's hands were not pretty at all.

 

I continue to love Zack. I did like the jazz routine but I thought it need more bite? Jacque was a little too soft for my liking; there wasn't enough snap in her movements, and not enough fierce. I think it might've been lack of commitment; for example, when she was on Zack's shoulder and her hands were touching herself, there was no feeling, no commitment to it and it just looked like random flailing.

 

Great to see Wildabeast choroegraphing for the show! Casey and Brooklyn, however, were slightly painful to watch. They lacked groundedness, and that hip-hop feel and that made everything awkward.

 

Really enjoyed Bridget/Emilio. It had some cool moments like when Emilio lifted Bridget and she did the really quick circular fan kick while he turned, and when Emilio was on the floor, and she stepped to him and dropped into a HMV. Thought that Emilio did the partnering really well.

[picklesprite]

I loved the Travis group number, too, and yes! Upbeat! Travis, listen to DHDancer!

 

I'm jumping onto the tiny bandwagon for Zach and Ricky among the boys, and Tanisha and. . .uh. . .among the girls. But I don't feel any of the love I've felt for my faves in past seasons. Hell, I still miss Joshua.

 

I love Marcquet's beautiful smile, and I'll miss that, but I don't think he was anywhere near ready, really.

[Zuleikha]

I realized tonight that when I watch Rudy/Tanisha, I feel like I'm watching a strange version of Dancing with the Stars in which he's the celeb and she's the pro. It's not so much that he's a bad dancer as that there's an imprecision to his movement that makes him seem like a talented amateur dancer to me. I still don't understand how he got on the show in the first place, much less why he's staying out of the B3.

 

Emilio was a revelation in that contemporary, and I had high expectations to begin with. Bridget is also surprising me with her skill. Her expressions were great, too. I'm not entirely sure they were what Travis was intending, but that final shot where Emilio broke away from her and she looked like a Fury plotting her vengeance gave me chills.

 

The low ratings make me sad, but I do have the feeling the show's run its course. The dancers are still good, but the choreography is feeling so samey that it makes it hard for the dancers to have jaw dropping moments.

[chocolatine]

I hate that salsa on this show has to be all tricks, all the time. That takes away from the flavor of the dance for me. I'd love to see more turn patterns, styling, and footwork, and slightly slower, more sensual music.

 

I love Marcquet's beautiful smile

 

I love it too. Too bad he wasn't a better dancer.

 

I hope he doesn't go to DWTS.  I don't think he's strong enough in standard ballroom.  Remember what a hard time they gave Lacey during her first season?

 

They gave Lacey a hard time because she was an attention whore and choreographed dances in a way that showcased her instead of her celebrity partner. I don't see that quality in Marcquet, but I agree that his dancing needs to improve in order to become a "featured" pro. I think he'd be a better fit for the DWTS dance troupe (which Witney, Lindsay, and Jenna have also been part of).

 

Is it sad this the week I finally realized we wouldn't be having any guest judges and that Misty would be a permanent judge?

 

I don't think she's a permanent judge. Cat said something to the effect of "finishing her three-week run as a guest judge" when introing her, and Nigel mentioned that she's about to go to Australia to do Swan Lake when talking about Tanisha's costume. Speaking of which, did anyone else notice the granny panties under the sheer side panels? That took away from the sexiness of the outfit for me.

Edited July 24, 2014 by chocolatine

[Absurdist1968]

Dmitri was also a tall sexy guy who got cut early-ish, as I recall, but has obviously gone on to do well.

Not really.  He was top 10 in his season and went on the tour (cut the same week as Martha, so just inside the top 10).  It's not often that they call back anyone who wasn't top ten as an All-Star or choreographer.

 

In other news, I am over Nigel's Bollywood boner.

 

I'm beginning to believe that here, as with Idol, there have been too many seasons.  The novelty has been exhausted for some time, and now the show's creatives are trying to keep topping themselves despite the fact that their best work is well behind them.

 

Oh, I'll keep watching. I'm not as invested anymore, and the longer Nigel pushes to "legitimize" the show (Misty Copeland is a big step in that direction) and aggrandize himself within the industry (and how far can that go once the show is inevitably cancelled?), the less relevant the whole thing becomes.  He's still butthurt about the whole NYTimes article from three years ago and is determined to be taken seriously as an international dance impresario, which drives his desire to get the SYTYCD dancers into Step Up movies and professional dance companies (with a not-insignificant amount of success, though Danny Tidwell got where he is now essentially on the skills he had prior to the show).  He's about as likely to be taken seriously in the dance world as Tyra Banks is in the modeling industry with the ANTM contestants or Project Runway has been in the fashion industry with every winner not named Christian Siriano.

 

I've been quite amused with how over the past couple of seasons Nigel has been stooping to the level of the average Twitter user with the show's fans, and is now unafraid to openly mock the younger audience members that populate the studio during tapings (the whooping during the top 20 tap routine springs to mind), determined to tell the world specifically how to approptiately appreciate the high culture he's magnanimously beaming into their living rooms.

 

As far as tonight, I didn't see much earth-shattering, but most of the performances were pleasant enough.  I think there were about three times as many trainwrecks as I've ever seen in a single episode, which was a little disappointing, but it can be spun as "pushing the dancers" to negate the notion that the show is "providing mediocre entertainment," particularly with the "all-tricks, all-the-time" salsa routine, which would have worked well had it been executed by professional-caliber salsa dancers.  Let's not even think about the foxtrot that wasn't.

 

Yeah, I'm feeling trollish at the moment, but it will pass.

 

But it's not as though there haven't been good things emerging from the show's eleven seasons; the fact that Travis Wall has a dance company now is justification enough (with the hope that the company can get a stronger foothold than the Trey MacIntyre Project had; the for-profit business venture that Shaping Sound is tied to is a good sign).

Edited July 24, 2014 by Absurdist1968

[Lonesome Rhodes]

I want to always love this show.  I'll be sad if it is in its death throes now, as the ratings suggest.  Yet, the liberties they take with choreo/style really frost me.

 

If that was a Foxtrot, I am Santa Claus.  That Rudy/Tanisha "hip hop?"  Are you serious?   Next, I look forward to the big soccer game when LeBron James scores a touchdown and wins the game 3-2.  If there are no standards, there are no rules.

 

The Salsa tonight was the single worst I have seen on the show.  Evah.  I thought maybe they had superglued the dancers. On the inside.  I can believe Emily was injured.  Well, too bad, so sad. Just as with auditions, you have to produce on cue.   She has got to be one of the four launched next week.

 

I really felt for Serge.  He had almost zero clue about contempo annnnd he had to be all emo.  I think he will be leaving, but I think he has a real chance at a career with the right breaks.

 

Ricky again won the night for me.  I think Carly gave the most well-rounded performance of the girls.  She most definitely best captured the character and mood.

 

Misty is just made of awesome.  Boy. I'd dearly love to know why they separated her from Mary on the panel.  ;)

[mertensia]

Yeah I thought Tanisha should have worn black panties. The white were jarring.

I cannot stand how Nigel will gush over everyone but the people they're sending packing.

[inmyeyes]

For anyone interested in how that Willdabeast routine should've looked like:

 

[rollerblade]

 

The low ratings make me sad, but I do have the feeling the show's run its course. The dancers are still good, but the choreography is feeling so samey that it makes it hard for the dancers to have jaw dropping moments.

 

Been-there-done-that choreography aside, these dancers lack personality. Looking back to season 7, there are so many stand-out performances. Loved the meet your contestants group dance Fame, loved the finale opening group dance Ra. Junior high Chacha with Kent Boyd was entertaining, My Chick Bad was fantastic, Mad World was sublime, and everything Alex Freaking Wong did that season was incredible. I even like the plain-jane Boogie Shoes that judges hate. Those dancers stand out from each other.

 

This year? Hate to say it, Alex's hands-only dance in S7 finale had more personality than all S11 dancers combined. Ok, that may be overly harsh, but really, these guys are so bland!  Oh judges, how do you expect me to vote when I can't even tell them apart?!

[PattyorSelma]

I was pretty sure Ricky was not wearing pants when he did those three leaps and twirls.  I was watching on a small TV and was not real close to it, so I couldn't tell for sure.  When the judges didn't mention it, I assumed I was wrong.

[Haleth]

They've been hitting it out of the park with the opening numbers this season.  I've enjoyed those more than the couples dances for the most part.  Fav couple of the night was Emilio and Bridgit (or was that Brooklyn?).  Very creative and moving.  I also really loved the final dance with Ricky and a bunch of back up dancers.  (Oh?  It was a group dance?  You wouldn't know it from the camera work.)

 

Marquette knew before the show started that he was a goner.  The judges really do seem to want to pair up Ricky with Jessica.  It's going to be tough to get Valerie out though, America seems to love her spunk.  

 

Still can't tell the difference between Emily, Carly, Brooklyn, and Jackie if you lined them up.  Wait a minute.  Brooklyn is gone?  I thought it was Bridgit.  I really can't tell the difference.  Getting rid of a lot of fodder next week will help.  Seems they want to expedite the crowning of Ricky as America's Favorite Dancer ASAP.

[Bella]

I've been trying to think of a) why I'm not as invested as I used to be and b) why the ratings have dropped.

 

My momentary theory is that the show keeps viewer interest for a few seasons and then becomes too predictable or familiar, and the seasons take on a sameness that gives viewing less urgency. I started watching in Season 4 at the urging of a friend, who'd quit watching by Season 6 because she lost interest, for example.

 

In any case, I'm yawning. Ricky is too hobbitty, Marquette was more handsome and sleek than talented, I like most of the girls when I see them but then I forget who they are, a couple of the guys look like their eyes are about to pop out, Nigel annoys, and even Cat is seeming robotic.

 

This used to be my favorite show. ::sigh::

[luvthepros]

P.S. I've been trying to figure out who Zack reminds me of, and I had a lightbulb moment tonight. He's the Mad magazine mascot.

Yes, I can see that. I've also seen Howdy Doody in Zak. I do LOVE his dancing though.

Edited July 24, 2014 by luvthepros

[OakGoblinFly]

They had worked so hard last week to make sure Marcquet would be in the bottom. 

 

I don't think the judges "worked so hard" to ensure Marcquet hits bottom three; he managed to do that all on his own by failing to impress since not-Vegas week.  His first week Samba was decent though - the issue I had with that particular dance was the disconnect between Marcquet and Marlene (both their faults).  Honestly, I think he's just too immature as a dancer and he auditioned about four years too early - I think that male ballroom dancers improve with time (much like a fine wine).

 

The low ratings make me sad, but I do have the feeling the show's run its course. The dancers are still good, but the choreography is feeling so samey that it makes it hard for the dancers to have jaw dropping moments.

 

 

The powers that be can be blamed for that ..... they rely on the same choreographers to do too much of the heavy lifting.  And as gifted as some of them may be, when asked to produce 10 - 15 routines for a season, I suspect they will take short cuts by using standard movements - hence the "sameness"

Yeah I thought Tanisha should have worn black panties. The white were jarring.

 

 

 

The black would have been just as jarring ... she should have worn nude colored panties.

[Primetimer]

Travis Wall and Sonya Tayeh make a strong case for ditching the partners and just doing group routines from here on out.

Read the story

[WhineandCheez]

The black would have been just as jarring ... she should have worn nude colored panties.

 

With a sheer panel--NO panties.  Seriously. Someone in last week's thread asked out of the girls, who is the "beast" this year .  I think it's Tanisha.  She attacks everything with such gusto.  And face it, she is not at all attractive, which makes it even harder for her .  Unfortunately, her face is what put her in the B3.  What else could it have been?  She didn't belong in B3 at all. WTF??

[Steph01924]

I don't think she's a permanent judge. Cat said something to the effect of "finishing her three-week run as a guest judge" when introing her, and Nigel mentioned that she's about to go to Australia to do Swan Lake when talking about Tanisha's costume.

 

Oh okay, thanks! I skipped through the judges intro and anything Nigel says, so I didn't hear any of that. 

[waving feather]

Maybe I'm just feeling grumpy, but I thought none of the choreography or dances were particularly good this episode. So disappointing.

 

Ricky & Valerie Bollywood - One of the clunkiest Bollywood on SYTYCD, mainly because of Val. Ricky was dancing his ass off but Valerie, in her true Valerie-fashion was slow and I swear there were times when she was off-beat. Her hands were also flopping all over the place.

 

Bridget & Emilio Contemporary - Both of them did their best and there were times when Bridget did something so beautiful, but it's Travis Wall contemporary and I just can't get into it. Hate how the guy walks away in the end AGAIN. We need to start a tally on how many times someone walks away at the end of the routine choreographed by Travis Wall. LOVED Travis as a contestant. Hate his choreography in general.

 

Tanisha & Rudy Hip Hop - Poor Tanisha seemed to be dancing with her little brother. Still don't understand how Rudy got into Top 20. His friend Nick was a much better dancer. They might as well pair up Rudy and Jacque so that Zack and Tanisha can be freed of the silly showmance questions. And a Zack/Tanisha combo will be awesome.

 

Jessica & Marcquet Foxtrot - This was actually pretty entertaining. I liked Marcquet with his hair tied back. I could actually see his face now! But he needs more finese in his dancing and I think he will get there as he grows older. Jessica is a lovely dancer but she's still making faces that takes me right out of the dance. She's a pretty bad actress.

 

Carly & Serge Contemporary - Carly is a great dancer with amazing ability (even more so than Ricky) but I don't get much personality in her dancing. But I'd rather take that than someone like Rudy who is sloppy. Serge is just there.

 

Teddy & Emily Salsa - This was so bad, I fast forward it 15 seconds in. These two have anti-chemistry.

 

Zack & Jacque Jazz - The dance started really strong (loved how Zack was moving towards Jacque in the beginning) but there were too many lifts in the middle of the dance. So it wasn't as snappy as I'd liked, but that's more on the choreography. These two still have amazing chemistry. That handstand with her lying beneath him was hot. The problem though was at some points Jacque danced it like she was dancing contemporary, not a Sonya Jazz piece. So in that sense, she didn't 100% get the feel of the dance. This routine would have killed with Zack/Tanisha combo.

 

Casey & Brooklyn Hip Hop - Another stinker. I thought BOTH of them were bad. In different ways. Casey wasn't grounded enough; he always looked like he was about to tip toe. Brooklyn was okay but her shoulders were all tense. They didn't have the same quality of movement either.

 

I can't tell how good or bad the group routines were because the camera work was atrocious. They framed every angle badly.

[dusang]

I can't tell how good or bad the group routines were because the camera work was atrocious. They framed every angle badly.

 

This is the first year where I'm really questioning the actual choreography because of the camera work.  The camera work has always been a little choppy and spinny but I always ultimately felt the choreo was definitely stage-designed.  This year the choreo seems distinctly more camera-designed and the audience is seeing nothing or people's backs or something.  I don't like it.  For example, I'm pretty sure the majority of Travis' bed routine (with Emilio and interchangeable female dancer) was filmed from the side, what was the audience seeing???

[spanana]

 

Not really.  He was top 10 in his season and went on the tour (cut the same week as Martha, so just inside the top 10).  It's not often that they call back anyone who wasn't top ten as an All-Star or choreographer.

This was about Dmitry, but I just wanted to point out that this the second time Jonathan Platero has been asked back to choreograph salsa and he was cut very early in his season.  To the point that most people don't even remember he was on SYTYCD.   He was elimintated in the third week of S5 I believe.  He's another one that has a lot of connections to DWTS these days and is close friends with the whole Chmerkovskiy crew (and Serge).  I'm always surprised when Jonathan gets asked back mostly because Nigel and co. didn't like him very much when he was on the show the first time.  They were basically always telling him he sucked in his own style.

[Mertseger]

Moar moonwalking Mandy, plz!

 

Misty joins a very short list of jidges that I wouldn't mind having a permanent chair (along with Debbie Allen, of course, and I do miss the effervescent sesquipedalian ruminations of Lil' C).

[Alison]

Oof. This was a snooze of an episode, which breaks my SYTYCD-lovin' heart. I watched the two-hour show in about 40 minutes thanks to the magic of my DVR. I rarely FF through the actual dancing, but a few of last night's routines had me doing just that.

Last night, I was thinking, "Oh god, losing four dancers in one fell swoop? No!" but I'm thinking that might be for the better. Bring on the All-Stars, please. Usually by this point in the competition, there are partners I don't ever want to see split up, but that's not the case this season. I'm hoping the All-Stars will inject some life into this languid season.

[Quickbeam]

My take away was Teddy and his fluidity. Mesmerizing. I'd pay money for the camera crew to stop it with the Rudy close-ups on the goggle-eyed face he makes. I just can't take it, makes me leave the room.