S11.E09: Top 16 Perform, 2 Eliminated

[dusang]

My take away was Teddy and his fluidity.

 

I am quickly developing an inappropriate cougar crush on Teddy.  That eyebrow... I love a guy who can make me laugh.

[Alison]

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. 

I think Rudy's weaknesses as a dancer will be put on display when he's working with the All-Stars. He's gotta be coasting by on his "cutness" right now because Tanisha is so superior to him technically.

[AllAboutMBTV]

 

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.

Not only is the choreography samey (So. Much. Flaily. Contemporary... Again. Some more), but so are many of the dancers, especially the women, whom, this season, I cannot tell apart. (The taped segments about their likes/dislikes and early years aren't helping.) Also getting in the way is that Ricky is clearly the presumptive winner, so the season is just a long death march, er, dance for all the others.

 

Back to Choreo Complaints: Does every dance have to have a back story that needs to be explained to us? Can't they just dance and let us figure it out or make up our own story? If you go to see mixed bills by the Paul Taylor or Mark Morris dance companies, Mssrs. Taylor or Morris do not come out and explain what you're about to see. And can the ballroom numbers just be ballroom numbers and not have some story grafted on to them? Just let the smooth salsa be a smooth salsa with no businessman angst.

 

C'mon, show, get it together. I'll still watch you, but right now it's just out of habit and Cat Deeley Love.

[crossover]

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).

 

 

I think any dancer improves with time, not just ballroom.  And I do think they worked hard to see that he hit B3. 

 

He didn't hit B3 after his latin ballroom but Serge did.  Misty really started the criticism because she thought he was too serious in the interrogation routine (facials).  Kinda like she pinged Stanley at first.  But Marcquet didn't hit B3.  The next week, there were these weird positions to start a lift from.  So they went on and on about partnering issues.  I guess they had to make sure it sank in.  They must've gone overboard because Mary had to defend him.  Had it been someone they were trying to save, they would've said something like 'I saw you had problems with the one lift but...'   Once he hit B3, they had to cement their decision by giving him a standard ballroom routine to make sure he couldn't save himself.  They had to justify saving Serge (who hit B3 twice) over him.

 

So I think people were enjoying Marcquet until last week when they went on and on.  He didn't pull the exciting/memorable choreography but people were enjoying him.  I know I even enjoyed the foxtrot.  But when they want you gone, it's over.  It may take a while but they'll get you.  For instance, Teddy and Casey are the B3 culprits for next week.  Let's see if it works.

[OakGoblinFly]

But when they want you gone, it's over.  It may take a while but they'll get you.

 

While I believe the judges have favorites and can be biased during their critiques I don't think there is a master plan to "get rid" of a specific dancer at a predetermined time.  

 

This isn't American Idol or The Voice where the prize is a recording contract and the powers-that-be have a vested interest in a commercially viable winner (i.e., someone who will sell a lot of records and make the powers-that-be a lot of money).  The prize for this show is some money, a fun title, and this year the chance to be a member of the dance troop on Broadway (in previous years it was a small role in a movie or in a Vegas show). 

 

For this show who wins isn't nearly as important to the powers-that-be as is the idea of promoting dance.

[luvthepros]

Well, that Bollywood will make exactly no one forget Katie and Joshua's. ...

I know this may not be a popular opinion but I much prefer to remember Billy Bell and Robert Roldan's Bollywood, In fact, we get a glimpse of it each week in the opening credits of the show. As for the costuming for Ricky and Valerie....it seemed like the budget for this routine was non existent, especially Ricky's costume. Was that even a costume? Just awful, IMHO.

[ari333]

I, too, really hated seeing Tanisha's white undies on the side cutouts of that costume. When one has a side cutout doesn't one go commando or at least wear flesh colored undies? [/nit]

Edited July 24, 2014 by ari333

[luvthepros]

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

 

A black G-String or thong would have blended right in with the costume. The under garment Tanisha wore was a complete fail for the look of the costume.

Edited July 24, 2014 by luvthepros

[OakGoblinFly]

A black G-Stringor thong would have blended right in with the costume. The under garment Tanisha wore was a complete fail for the look of the costume.

 

 

Better yet, stay away from the sheer panels in the first place.

[Bosman]

Billy and Robert's Bollywood was amazing! Katie and Joshua's will always stand out for me because it was the first time the style was on the show and it was danced so well. 

[luvthepros]

With a sheer panel--NO panties. 

You know you are right about that. The costume should have had a  sewn in hooz itz in the crotch. I'm sure the costumers could have done a better job.

[Gardencrown]

 

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.

Very very true. I think that Emily is a goner next week. Quite possibly Serge, who I think will hit bottom. Zach worries me because he is, by far, my favorite male dancer. I think they will let Teddy or Casey go before Zach, but who knows the machinations in Nigel's mind...Girls: Jessica if she hits bottom (how she hasn't yet is kind of beyond me). I think they'll be loath to let Bridget go because as much as dead dad stuff irritated all, she has been bringing it as a performer. The same with Tanisha.Can't picture Valerie hitting bottom. So I guess my predictions for the four: Emily, Jessica (or Bridget), Casey, and Serge. Or maybe Teddy.

 

So yeah, my predictions are clear as mud.

 

 

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.

Right there with you, Quickbeam, He drives me bonkers, and if landed in the bottom, I think they would dump him. But his supposed "cuteness" will likely keep him out of the bottom. And I think he's been pretty dreadful the last few weeks.

 

This is an odd odd lackluster season because I really don't feel connected to any couple. Maybe it's that we don't vote for couples? I know I always complained about that because sometimes one person carried another to the top 10, but I just don't feel invested in any of the couples. Except possibly Zach and Jacque -- they have some actual chemistry.

 

 

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??

Man, that thought makes me sad. No, she's not as traditionally pretty as some of the girls, but she has interesting features that I think she will grow into, and I think that her features will communicate beautifully on say, a Broadway stage. I think that Tanisha has one of the most promising future careers because I suspect she's a work horse, and her quality of movement is sophisticated and strong and quite lovely. I've done a major 180 on her -- I really didn't like her audition with its combo of ballroom/jazz/acro -- but she's so good at all of these things individually. While I didn't adore that hip hop, I felt like my problems had more to do with costumes (esp. hated the red shoes) and of course, Rudy than anything about Tanisha. To think of her getting voted off based on looks...not that we can know that...but it depresses me.

 

A couple of things I suspect: Jessica is in way over head emotionally -- she does seem kind of dead behind the eyes, but I suspect that she's not handling the pressure well, and that's why Nigel was relatively gentle for her. I think that Marcquet really, really wasn't improving per what the choreographers must have said. I also suspect that Rudy's popularity is probably a PITA for TPTB, but they let that particular cat (or puppy dog) out of the bag. For whatever reason, Nigel wants Valerie in the top 10 -- I honestly don't think she's as strong as the other women, but she has received zero critique. I'm just afraid that they'll sacrifice Zach if he's in the bottom, if Nigel feels like he's got his tapper in top 10.

 

And finally, one other thing I suspect based on nothing but a smallish gut feeling, nothing, nothing I've read or heard from anyone else: I think Cat is pregnant. FWIW.:)

[luvthepros]

Better yet, stay away from the sheer panels in the first place.

I really liked the sheer side panels....added some oomph to the character.

[dusang]

@Gardencrown - "PITA"???  Please explain.

[OakGoblinFly]

@Gardencrown - "PITA"???  Please explain.

 

I suspect it means "pain in the ass."

[Iseut]

I haven't been a huge fan of Tanisha, but she really did totally kill that hip hop routine. It was awesome to watch. I imagine that will be enough to get her a lot of votes this week. (I wonder if the visible panties were due to religious concerns? Having 11 siblings and being from Utah, it's pretty safe to say she's Mormon. Not that a leather cut-out catsuit and femme fatale vibe screams Mormon piety, but maybe she felt that if she at least showed she was staying true to the panties that she'd be okay with her family fans.)

 

Carly keeps surprising me. That backbend thing at the end! Holy crap! I like Serge a lot too, but I think she's outshining him. I don't know if he is better off with her because she elevates him, or if her skills cause him to disappear into the background too much. He doesn't quite have the bubbly personality like Valerie does, which helps balance out her comparative lack of skills when dancing with Ricky. 

[ari333]

Oh Dear God,  I hated that Heart is Broken mini group dance. And what was that crap (imo) they were wearing?

[BensBritches]

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.

 

Right there with ya, Alison- it breaks my heart too.  I FF'ed more than a couple of the dances tonight and I've never done that before (maybe 1 here or there) and I've watched religiously since season 2.

 

I wish I knew what was wrong with the show and how to fix it, but I think it is just too samey-same-same... nothing new, nothing we haven't seen before, no one so unique we have to take notice.  The dances and dancers are all blending into each other so that most of the time I can't remember who danced what at the end of the night.  I like Ricky, I really do, but he hasn't blown me away in other styles.  No one has.  Nothing has.  I'm feeling blank and I never thought I'd say that about this show.

 

Nigel's constant going on and on last night about the custom designers, hair and make-up folks, lighting, key grips- it just felt like a full-on push to say, "Hey we need awards!  Aren't we just something so special and unique and different" and there's no response from the viewing audience because we're all checking our FB status or reading the forums here.  My interest in the costumes this season has been more in the "oops your undies are showing" category than anything else. 

 

Too many of my early favorites flamed out.  Marlene and Marcquet in particular.  Nigel and co may have sent a bus for Marcquet, but in all honestly I think he flagged it down himself.  His dancing did not impress me at all during any of routines, adding to my sadness while watching this show.

 

It pains me to say, "I'm bored." But, I'm bored. 

 

Someone mentioned Paul Taylor's dancers above and I recently saw a wonderful performance of theirs... yeah, it was contemporary, but I don't think there was a single HMV/S, lady carried while windmilling her legs around, slow walk away at end of number move or explanation of the "meaning" behind the dance.  And all 3 numbers were gorgeous... dance is so much more than what SYTYCD choreographers are putting on the table-in any and all genres. So with the show's dancing not growing, I'm growing disenchanted.

[tricksterson]

Wasn't crazy about Tanisha up until now but she nailed it tonight.  And Ricky looks more like a goblin than a hobbit.

Edited July 24, 2014 by tricksterson

[luvthepros]

.............. For whatever reason, Nigel wants Valerie in the top 10 -- I honestly don't think she's as strong as the other women, but she has received zero critique. I'm just afraid that they'll sacrifice Zach if he's in the bottom, if Nigel feels like he's got his tapper in top 10.

 

 

But....but......but.......Zack is a MUCH better tapper than Val. He's got a swag when he taps that Val can only dream about. Nigel MUST know he needs to have Zack in the Top 10 if he wants tap represented!

[PattyorSelma]

Billy and Robert's Bollywood was amazing! Katie and Joshua's will always stand out for me because it was the first time the style was on the show and it was danced so well. 

 

Was it the Bollywood routine that knocked Billy out with an injury or did that happen only to Alex?  Those leaps and landings must be hard to do. (safe to say I will never attempt such a thing myself, even if I could)  I recall that a final four show had a crazy Bollywood routine -- maybe it was Joshua -- and I thought for sure the choreographer was trying to kill him.  He was always up in the air while the other dancer was down on the ground.  (tWitch?)

[Alison]

I really liked the sheer side panels....added some oomph to the character.

The sheer side panels were fine, but damn, that thing was looooow cut in the back! The top of her butt had to be exposed, with that black strip down her spine obscuring any visible buttcrack.

 

 

And finally, one other thing I suspect based on nothing but a smallish gut feeling, nothing, nothing I've read or heard from anyone else: I think Cat is pregnant. FWIW.:)

I hope your gut feeling is right, because Ms. Deeley would be the most chic, gorgeous pregnant woman. She already glows as is!

Edited July 24, 2014 by Alison

[dusang]

I really liked the sheer side panels....added some oomph to the character.

 

The sheer side panels were fine, but damn, that thing was looooow cut in the back! The top of her butt had to be exposed, with that black strip down her spine obscuring any visible buttcrack.

 

That entire bodysuit was mesmerizing -- it has to be high on the list of "most risque" costumes ever on this show.  She worked it but dayum.

Edited July 24, 2014 by dusang

[Rick Kitchen]

I didn't watch last night and I'm not even really upset that I didn't see it.  Maybe I'll come back when the top ten is decided.

[crossover]

I am surprised that people don't think TPTB has an invested interest in the contestants.  Normally, they don't care about who wins (except in Sabra and Melanie's cases) but they care about who makes top 10 and who goes on tour.  Why else would they manipulate the routines and critiques like they do?  The last few seasons they even wanted control up until the top 6.  I guess they were worried about the final 4 requirements. 

 

I would think they care about the winner this season because the prize is bwy.  When Nick (S1) and Benji (S2) won, they turned down the New York and Vegas prize.  I'm sure they don't want that to happen again.  That's why ballroom contestants didn't have a chance but they do want a couple of ballroom routines on tour.  They're just not flexible enough.  Well Tanisha is but she's a contemp girl who can do ballroom.

 

I think the main thing they worry about is a contestant being so liked that they can't manipulate them, like Evan and Cyrus.  Then they put their backing behind the remaining contestants who are popular in the votes and HOPE.  They can always ensure the ones they want make the top 10 via routines or just saving them--Jenna, MacKenzie, Kayla, Lauren, Danny etc.  And, it looks like Serge for this season.

[romantic idiot]

The show was very blah for me - I felt everything was as slow as molasses. I hated the Bollywood - in fact I laughed out loud when they said how fast it was when it was the slowest they've had on the show till date, I think. And while Misty's been nice (even if her Ricky obsession is killing some of that love for me - he was NOT the only standout in that group routine) I also laughed when she spoke about the hands in the Bollywood number because for most of it they'd both given up and had flat straight hands. 

 

I watched this show with no investment because my favourite's gone, and I don't think that's the right attitude because i ended up playing Candy Crush through a lot of it. I stopped for the dances, but really didn't want to. 

[Toaster Strudel]

I think the main thing they worry about is a contestant being so liked that they can't manipulate them, like Evan and Cyrus. 

 

And let's not forget the much-forgotten, but uber-talented creative force that Russell was!  They gave him every fox trot, his partners kept being injured...

 

Edited July 24, 2014 by Toaster Strudel

[shimarella]

Not too much stood out positively about the show. I'm sorry Marquet is gone because I liked the idea of him..but I think while he was ok in his routines he wasn't the standout I was hoping him to be. I can't even remember the girl who was eliminated. A lot of the dancetestants really are blurring together for me right now. 

 

I liked the Travis Wall routine, shockingly...it was sort of the male version of "Addiction" and both dancers inhabited their characters fiercely, with the set piece and lighting also serving them well. 

 

I still find Teddy's manscaped eyebrows disconcerting but damn if he didn't mesmerise me with his slinky hips! 

 

Speaking of slinky, Tanisha worked that stunning bodysuit ( GIVE IT TO ME). Not sure how much I liked the choreography but I enjoyed watching her. Rudy stayed out of her way and that worked out well. 

 

Everything else was sort of eh to meh for me. I know I've ranted about Nakul's choreography before but seriously dude ENUF ALREADY. He has turned Bollywood on this show into what Dorian Sanchez has done to disco : an ethnic Indy 500 of dance. Forget about whether those two cheerful chipmunks could pull off the flirty character he apparently wanted from the dance, all I could see were a pair of panting dancers racing to keep up with all the flailing attached to every quarter beat of the song. Add to that how ridiculous I thought they both looked in the outfits, like they were playing dress-up in their Desi friends' wedding trousseau. For all that's holy, please SYTYCD find someone else to do Bollywood!!! 

 

OK I guess I still feel strongly about that.

[Bella]

And let's not forget the much-forgotten, but uber-talented creative force that Russell was!  They gave him every fox trot, his partners kept being injured...

 

 

If we had a "whatever happened to" thread, Russell would be the first person I'd mention.

[crossover]

I think that Marcquet really, really wasn't improving per what the choreographers must have said

I hadn't heard this.  They do take what the choreographers say to heart.  I wonder why they kept featuring him in that group when they had a problem with him?

 

Saw this from Misty.  Now she can talk about Marcquet doing well?

"Jessica, you were beautiful. I enjoyed you. Marcquet, I feel like you danced beautifully tonight." -@mistyonpointe

Edited July 25, 2014 by movement

[dcalley]

99% of the audience didn't get the (unfunny, of course) truss joke, Nigel you old man.

[crossover]

I'm sorry Marquet is gone because I liked the idea of him..but I think while he was ok in his routines he wasn't the standout I was hoping him to be.

I don't think Marcquet was meant to be the standout the last couple of weeks.  I think they were trying to feature Jourdan but her mistake in the ballet routine sealed her fate.   And you're right, Marcquet had to shine every week to have a chance.  I'm sure he's use to that.  He had no room for error with the voters or judges.

[Keekski]

I do not like Ricky. And I hope Marquet gets a job elsewhere. He is GORGEOUS and was one of my early favorites. Oh well. Hopefully DWTS will pick him up. He deserves more than this shit. 

[Keekski]

Also, the fact that most of these kids are showing their kid flashback videos from the LATE 90's, makes me feel so fucking old. Fuck. These kids could be my kids! And I know because I started my family late in life, their parents are indeed my age. God, to be an almost empty nester instead of still wiping asses, makes me want to rethink how I spent my early to mid 20's. 

[traboule]

Decided to subscribe to Hulu Plus now that they actually release SYTYCD episodes soon after they air. (Last year, I think it wouldn't appear until 30 days after air date.)

 

Not my favorite opening group routine of the season, but I thought the dancers had a nice swampy / sultry thing going on. Teddy and Bridget stood out to me a little, but it was really a solid ensemble piece without too much showcasing of any particular dancer.

 

I was so dismayed that Bridget, Zack and Tanisha were in the bottom 6! Zack and Tanisha are two of my favorites and both just really bring it to everything they're given. And I was really surprised by Bridget ranking so low when she just shined in that "Happy" jive last week.

 

Ricky / Valerie - I love watching the dances in Bollywood films, and have enjoyed some of the SYTYCD routines. This one wasn't stellar but those three from-the-knee leaps that Ricky did looked amazing. He's not my favorite dancer, in some part due to a reflexive push back against the "anointed one" status he's been given. Valerie exudes joy and I can't dislike her, though no, she didn't bring any sexy to the dance. I also thought her arms lacked precision in this routine. I'd like to see these two challenged by a Latin ballroom routine (that hopefully wouldn't pull its punches.)

 

Bridget / Emilio - I got a little worried when I saw the bedframe, as props can be wearisome on SYTYCD. But the routine used the prop well. Bridget's acting was great - I love that look she gives in the end before turning away. I had watched the routine first with no explanation on youtube and even then I sensed she was not playing a person, but some sort of 'thing'. Emilio looked good in this contemporary piece, and from the pre-dance clip, I sense that Bridget was a good partner to him in rehearsal and helped him while he was in her wheelhouse. With last week's performance and this performance, Bridget is winning me over. I hope she doesn't get in danger next week.

 

Tanisha / Rudy - not my favorite routine of theirs, but Tanisha continues to be a beast in her routines. She didn't oversell the sexy, but just effortlessly rolled out the moves. LIke Cat's comparison of her to a Tarantino villianess. I don't mind Rudy as much as I did at first, but totally what Zuleikha said earlier in this thread:

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.

 

 

 

Marcquet / Jessica - Getting the hair out of Marcquet's face was a good idea for this dance as it added to the sleek persona he was inhabiting. The dance really didn't do much for me, though as a side note the beginning and end silhouette of Marcquet in the armchair was nice and noirish. Wish the rest of the dance had been as atmospheric.

 

Serge / Carly - Isn't this their second contemporary together? Out of three routines? I did like their first one - "Latch" but I didn't like this one as much, more due to lack of distinctness in the choreography than any particular fault of the dancers. Though Carly's hinge move at the end was stunning. Serge never seems to be more than background for me.

 

Teddy / Emily - I don't have the best eye for technique in ballroom dances, but the flaws in this one were obvious. Teddy seemed to at least have some instinct for the movement, even if it was unpolished. Emily just seemed lost. I was hoping they would get it together but they didn't and seemed to just scrape through. For me, they are one of the least connected couples, not counting the post-elimination pairings. I'm sorry for Emily's injury and am sure that didn't help at all, but she's one of the dancers I expect to go home next week.

 

Jacque / Zack - Didn't care for this routine much. The cover version of Back to Black and Jacque's costume and hat didn't help. Zack looked great as usual - the lowering down from the handstand was sexy. Jacque didn't quite match him in this dance, as she has in previous routines.

 

Casey / Brooklyn - I think these kids really tried hard with this routine, especially Brooklyn. Her technique may not have been perfect, but I think she committed to the character and did seem more confident and "there" than she had previously on this season. It was absolutely right that she was eliminated, especially with Bridget and Tanisha as her fellow B3 dwellers, but I feel like she was growing and stretching her dance abilities while on the show. I didn't notice Casey as much in this routine. Neither he or Jessica are my faves, but hopefully their partnership will surprise me.

 

Sonya Tayeh group routine - Okay, this was super angsty, and the make-up made them look like they were zombies to me, but I thought the dancers really showed great ensemble work. Tanisha was good, obvs, but for some reason my eye was also drawn to Brooklyn in this, though she was not really showcased.

 

Travis Wall group routine - This was pretty fun. I liked seeing this side of Ricky, a little more edge looks good on him. Also, with the eyeliner he kind of looked like the pictures I've seen of the Captain Hook character on Once Upon A Time (haven't actually watched that show.) I did think that Travis should maybe not be so cavalier about the fact that his choreography puts the dancers at risk for hitting their heads. Sure, he may be playing up the risk to make the dance seem more interesting, but I still thought he seemed a little too gleeful about it.

 

Marcquet and Brooklyn handled their ouster very well. Good luck to them.

Edited July 25, 2014 by traboule

[Lemons]

It seemed like Mary and Nigel were making all kinds of excuses for the crappy dancing. Both hip hop numbers were painful to watch. You know it was killing the choreographers to see their choreography maimed like that. I did like the last group number.

Does anyone do a drinking game like take a shot every time someone lifts a right leg! If you do, I will assume you are in a alcohol induced coma and can't answer right now.

[inmyeyes]

luvthepros, on 25 Jul 2014 - 02:28 AM, said:

    I really liked the sheer side panels....added some oomph to the character.

 

 

Alison, on 25 Jul 2014 - 04:54 AM, said:

    The sheer side panels were fine, but damn, that thing was looooow cut in the back! The top of her butt had to be exposed, with that black strip down her spine obscuring any visible buttcrack.

 

 

That entire bodysuit was mesmerizing -- it has to be high on the list of "most risque" costumes ever on this show.  She worked it but dayum.

 

The back of the bodysuit had those nude illusion panels, yes? At least it looked like it to me. I can't imagine having to dance without them, it'd be a wardrobe malfunction waiting to happen, even if everything was taped down.

 

Also, I actually didn't notice the white panties until you guys pointed it out and now I can't unsee it.

[phoenix780]

Kinda boring for me overall.

 

Thought the first two numbers were really bland.  I love Valerie but to me it didn’t seem like she even moved, really.  And I couldn’t even get through another Travis Wall slow routine (so glad to see the fast one at the end).

 

I get Casey and…the one who did salsa confused.  It’s not that they resemble each other physically.  They just both look to me like actors playing teens on a daytime soap, and I guess my brain is seeing them as the same thing because of that.

 

Nigel calling out Misty for favoring the guys and being tougher on girls was bullshit, given how he’s judged over the years.  I also didn’t appreciate more of his weirdness about hip hop as a dance style.  If the style requires one to “get down,” then isn’t the technique required “getting down?”  So it’s not as though it’s more about feeling and your movement doesn’t matter, as it seemed like Nigel was saying.  You have to adjust your style of movement.  And, it doesn’t seem like pointing ones toes is necessarily harder technique to remember, since the kids they bring on forget to “get down” quite often.

 

What happened with the dance crew competition?  I didn’t watch any of that because of Justin Bieber, but I thought there was something with that beyond what they did.  Or maybe not?

 

There was an interesting comparison to Idol upthread and whether this show had run its course.  I love it, but I think it needs a break.  Like Idol, I think it's pulling too many contestants (or casting too many auditioners) who grew up watching and have the ambition to be on the show, not necessarily an ambition to be the thing the show celebrates.  That might sound weird, it's probably not based in fact, and it might just be that they make me feel old at 34, but to me they've lost something because for a bunch of these kids it's like just getting on the reality show was the plan.

 

I’m going to turn and dramatically walk away from my computer now.  Because I’ve learned through this show that that’s the only way to finish something.

Edited July 25, 2014 by phoenix780

[loki310]

I'm also trying to figure out why I'm meh on this show and here's what I've come up with:

 

- Same choreographers, doing similar choreography across seasons.

- While talented, the dancers seem so young and I just don't buy all the emotion that they're trying to manufacture. It doesn't seem genuine.

- Overreliance on contemporary dancers. Can't we incorporate more dance styles so the ideal contestant isn't a flailing angsty lyrical dancer?

- Crappy hip hop dancing

- Female/male couples.  I think the show would be more exciting if there could be same sex pairs as well. I'm sick of all the hetero based love story dances.

- Sticking with the same partner every week

[Zuleikha]

If the style requires one to “get down,” then isn’t the technique required “getting down?”  So it’s not as though it’s more about feeling and your movement doesn’t matter, as it seemed like Nigel was saying.  You have to adjust your style of movement.

 

Yes! This is one of my main Nigel pet peeves... he'll feed into this horrible elitist meme of contemporary as technical and every other dance style as some mysterious emotional force. Every single dance style that exists requires technique. All technique is, is the specific mechanics of how a dancer should engage one's body to accomplish a movement. Technique is not magically more technique because it was learned in a classroom setting at a barre instead of informally with accomplished peers. They're just different ways to learn technique. 

 

You can really see the technical aspect of hip hop by comparing the Wildabeest video posted upthread to the way Brooklyn/Casey danced their number on the show. Part of what makes hip hop really hard is that dancers often have to engage a lot of their muscles while simultaneously appearing loose and effortless. I can't do it at all. Brooklyn and Casey really didn't do badly for non-hip hop dancers, but they just didn't have the ability to get the technique. Off the top of my head, Lacey is the only non-specialist hip hop dancer I can think of who seemed to really get hip hop.

[SpectreH]

I just caught the show tonight.  I think of the bottom 6, they made the right call with Marquet and Brooklyn.  Neither dancer had impressed me so far and I think they were the most deserving to leave in their Bottom 3's.  Now whether others should be in the bottom 3 instead is a different discussion, but I think given the choice that was presented, the judges made the right call.  There is no way I would have kept Brooklyn over Tanisha and Bridget and while I think it was more questionable with the guys, Marcquet's foxtrot did not look good to my untrained eye.  Foxtrot is supposed to be a smooth rise and fall and Marcquet looked uncomfortable and stiff.

 

As for the routines tonight, I won't mention all of them because not all of them were memorable but I really liked the Bridget and Emilio routine.  It was the only one I had to re-wind and watch again tonight.  Bridget's cold and sinister expression, the way she just kept grabbing Emilio, from the bed, catching him with her feet and dragging him back, to that final sinister look as he walked away.  I thought it was pretty chilling and reminded me a little bit of Kupono and Addiction.

 

The Wildabeest hip hop, I think it *could* have been very cool, but the there just wasn't enough swag in the dance.  I think they tried, but just didn't quite have it, I thought the energy level varied throughout the routine.

 

That salsa looked super difficult and they were kinda tentative, though I agree that there were moments where Teddy moved like a Latin dancer.  I actually have taken some Salsa lessons, and it didn't look to me like they did too many of the normal steps and turns that I learned in class and I certainly never learned tricks like that! LOL.

 

I didn't like the Bollywood and I agree that it looked kinda sloppy.  Valerie was a little bit worse than Ricky but I don't think either one of them were good.

 

I respect Tanisha's commitment to her hip hop routine.  She's a skilled dancer, I think she's just not super charismatic.

 

The opening group routine was a little boring to me to be honest, but I really liked the broken people routine.  I thought the movement was disturbing, Tanisha really killed that one too.  The Travis mini-routine was just ok to me and much less memorable.

 

Looks like we all have a bunch of differing opinions on the routines which is cool.  Am I the only one that liked the Bridget/Emilio and the broken people routines?  I'm just sad that so many watchers seem to be bored.  I've been watching this show since Season 2 and I still love it most of the time.  I don't mind the judges commentary, and am I a bad person if I often agree with them? 

 

I do understand people losing interest when their favorite leaves though.  There were many seasons I lost interest after certain dancers left.  I guess it's the same as the Marcquet effect(I know women think he's a tall and handsome dude), when I see a dancer I think is smokin' hot get booted, I start to lose interest as well.  Last year I thought Mackenzie was the most attractive girl, but the final four had enough charisma to keep me coming back.  The biggest example for me personally was when Kherington got sent home in Season 4, I kinda lost some of my interest, but I also know that my interest in her wasn't purely cuz of her dancing, lol.

 

ETA:  Oh and of course the 2nd season, the first one I watched, I lost some interest when Allison got booted as well, though again the remaining dancers had enough charisma to keep me coming back.

Edited July 25, 2014 by SpectreH

[chocolatine]

Off the top of my head, Lacey is the only non-specialist hip hop dancer I can think of who seemed to really get hip hop.

 

 

You forget Alex Freaking Wong.

[Vandy10]

You guys are going to make me YouTube Alex Wong and Twitch's duet.

 

And that's the problem with this season. There's nobody I want to go back and YouTube over and over again. I still can't correctly match names to faces yet. Playing on my ipad while watching probably doesn't help, but still. I just finished this episode 5 minutes ago, and I don't have a lot to say about it. It was meh. Except for Misty. Can't her run be longer than 3 weeks?!

[Jynnan tonnix]

I have no expertise when it comes to dance at all. Can't dance my way out of a paper bag, and though I love to watch it, anyone who can remotely make their way through a routine is typically going to impress me just by virtue of not tripping over their own feet. I guess that's one of the reasons that the group routines, though some can be pretty cool to watch, are not my favorites. Too much to focus on, and not a chance of differentiating one dancer from another most of the time.

 

So far, most of the female dancers have been a blur in my mind. Except for Tanisha, who initially annoyed me, and I'm shallow enough to attribute a lot of that to her face. If anyone ever develops a ballet based on The Wizard of Oz or Wicked, she would make a perfect Wicked Witch of the West. However, the girl can dance, and seems to inhabit every character she has been given. I didn't notice the white panties until they were pointed out either, though the outfit, effective as it was, certainly struck me as something your typical Mormon girl would not wear easily. Maybe those were a pair of the fabled Magic Mormon Underwear.

 

I like most of the guys, though there are a couple who I still have not quite sorted out who-is-who. Love Zack...he just radiates joy to me, and really like Casey, who just strikes me as very strong and elegant. I'm intrigued by Rudy, puppy-dog that he is, because he always seems to tackle everything with such exhuberance, and seems to be improving week to week. Teddy is growing on me. I don't know that I see the David Bowie thing, but will have to look at him again. His face, though, just makes me think of the Gigolo Joe character in Artificial Intelligence...it's as though someone built and programmed it to be attractive, but there's something a tad plasticky about it. Ricky makes me laugh, though he does seem to be a very good dancer. Serge is kind of sexy, though I don't know that his actual dancing has impressed me quite as much as some of the others as I'm having a hard time remembering anything specific. And I keep reading mention of Emilio here, but for whatever reason, I just can't remember anything specific either about his face or his dancing offhand. Is that everyone, or am I forgetting someone? I liked Marcquet as eye candy, and his dancing was perfectly fine as far as I could tell, but he was probably the right one to be eliminated.

[LadyMustang65]

I am one who is still really enjoying the show, but I will admit that so far each week I keep asking myself why Nigel thinks this group is the strongest group yet.  I just don't see it.  As someone mentioned above, there are very few real stand-out personalities in the group, and no one so far has danced so incredibly that I find them unforgettable.  There is most certainly no Twitch or Alex Wong in this year's group.  And no routine has really grabbed me this season either.  That said I did like most of the routines.  As someone else said, the Bollywood certainly will not make me forget Joshua and Katee, but it wasn't bad, I thought.  Valerie is either growing on me or she's getting better because she did not seem as heavy and clunky in her movements this time around, and she does really seem to be enjoying herself.  I thought Ricky did well, but I absolutely hated that costume.  The tunic was way way way too long.  I used to love Travis Wall in the beginning, then the last few years not so much, but I really liked both his routines last night.  I hope they are a portent that he is moving away from his usual stuff. 

 

So far I like - to one degree or another - all of the boys, but my favorites are Ricky, Zach, Emilio and Serge.  I know the other boys are Teddy and Casey and it took me a good 5 minutes to bring up Rudy's name.  For the girls, I honestly can't tell most of them apart.  I can pick out Tanisha, but I'm not a fan.  Not sure why - maybe I am shallow enough that the pinched face and high forehead make it difficult for me to get into her dancing.  She's not bad, but she doesn't stand out for me either. I can see that Valerie is not anywhere close to being the best dancer up there, but I do like her personality, and she was fun to watch this week.  I guess Bridget and Carly are probably my top 2 girls right now, but honestly when it comes time to vote, I have to click on the pictures to figure out which ones they are.  I couldn't pick either of them out of the crowd at this point even if they were standing still.  And as far as the girl's names, I can come up with Jacque, but I have no clue whatsoever who the other 2 girls are.  Without going back and looking through the thread, I got nothing.  Doesn't bode well.

[Miss chi chi]

Love Tanisha's face way more than Rudy's. I thought she was so sexy in her routine. Best dance of the night for me (just her).

I was obsessed with whether emilio was going to trip over the bed rails so totally missed any possible emotional reaction to routine.

Btw, twitch and Alex was my favorite routine EVAH!!!

[OakGoblinFly]

I respect Tanisha's commitment to her hip hop routine.  She's a skilled dancer, I think she's just not super charismatic.

 

 

I think when Tanisha is dancing she is the most charismatic person of this season's crop of dancers (much like last season's Jena) - my eye is nearly always drawn directly to her.  She isn't very charismatic during interviews; then again she is pushed to the side/ignored in favor of the Rudy-Jacque "romance" story line.  I have impressed with her dancing, her ability to complete inhabit her character, and her ability to transform during her routines.  I think she has that "it" factor and am impressed how she turns it on and off.  I will admit that she annoyed me prior to the live shows, she's won me over with her work ethic and her talent.

 

 

The comments about Tanisha's "un-attractiveness" make me sad; While she's not classically beautiful she certainly has a wholesome, approachable quality to her looks.  I do think she would benefit from a darker hair color, the blond washes her out.

[lokison]

I though it was mostly a pretty good night of dancing. The salsa was the worst, Emily was so tentative, but I thought Teddy was pretty good - he can move his hips!

Two things I noticed about Serge - 1. he looks like Bradley Cooper and 2. his left ear looks like it's on upside down.

Tanisha bugs me a little, too, and I didn't love that hip-hop, but she kicked ass in that group number.

[realdancemom]

I am quickly developing an inappropriate cougar crush on Teddy.  That eyebrow... I love a guy who can make me laugh.

I'm not developing a crush but did you catch Teddy in Travis' mini group routine?  The judges mostly mentioned Ricky.  He was good but so was everyone else.  Teddy really stood out to me because that dance was made for him.  He got the moves and guy liner is something that always seemed to match his face.  As for eyeliner, why did they put so much on Jessica and some of the other girls?  It was terrible.

As for the routines tonight, I won't mention all of them because not all of them were memorable but I really liked the Bridget and Emilio routine.  It was the only one I had to re-wind and watch again tonight.  Bridget's cold and sinister expression, the way she just kept grabbing Emilio, from the bed, catching him with her feet and dragging him back, to that final sinister look as he walked away.  I thought it was pretty chilling and reminded me a little bit of Kupono and Addiction.

 

The Wildabeest hip hop, I think it *could* have been very cool, but the there just wasn't enough swag in the dance.  I think they tried, but just didn't quite have it, I thought the energy level varied throughout the routine.

 

That salsa looked super difficult and they were kinda tentative, though I agree that there were moments where Teddy moved like a Latin dancer.  I actually have taken some Salsa lessons, and it didn't look to me like they did too many of the normal steps and turns that I learned in class and I certainly never learned tricks like that! LOL.

 

I didn't like the Bollywood and I agree that it looked kinda sloppy.  Valerie was a little bit worse than Ricky but I don't think either one of them were good.

The opening group routine was a little boring to me to be honest, but I really liked the broken people routine.  I thought the movement was disturbing, Tanisha really killed that one too.  The Travis mini-routine was just ok to me and much less memorable.

 

Looks like we all have a bunch of differing opinions on the routines which is cool.  Am I the only one that liked the Bridget/Emilio and the broken people routines?  I'm just sad that so many watchers seem to be bored.  I've been watching this show since Season 2 and I still love it most of the time.  I don't mind the judges commentary, and am I a bad person if I often agree with them?

I agree with what I quoted above.  I liked Bridget/Emilio's routine and I thought Sonia's piece was more memorable than Travis'.  But I did like both routines.  I didn't like Mandy's choreography.  Both routines were forgettable to me.

 

I think Brooklyn and Casey looked better than other people doing hip-hop this season.  But it could have looked better with other people, e.g. Emilio, Marcquet, Tanisha, or Carly.

 

The salsa routine was hard!!  Teddy did get the salsa moves but he was hindered by Emily. 

Edited July 25, 2014 by realdancemom

[dusang]

I think Brooklyn and Casey looked better than other people doing hip-hop this season.  But it could have looked better with other people, e.g. Emilio, Marcquet, Tanisha, or Carly.

 

Casey looked okay but Brooklyn looked incredibly awkward and stiff to me.