S11.E10: Top 14 Perform, 4 Eliminated

[tvloserlife]

Rob Zombie song used on SYTTYCD - Awesome.

Frenetic Paso Doble done to said Rob Zombie Song - Not Awesome

My thoughts exactly!

 

I actually really love paso doble but not a big fan of the concepts that usually surround it - just shut up and dance.  But then I couldn't actually tell whether that paso was good or not because of the crazy costumes and all the strobe lighting that was just begging for me to have a seizure.

 

Speaking of choreographer manipulations - I actually could not enjoy the hip hop.  I adore Ricky and I really do like Valerie, and they didn't do a bad job, but I could see all the manipulations that it bugged. 

Step 1: find one of the most hardcore hip hop songs you can find, so the audience is already in the mood. 

Step 2: use lots of makeup to cover the dancers' faces so it is not immediately apparently when they are breaking out into goofy grins. 

Step 3: Give them insane costumes to hide any technical flaws (not that I saw any, but it's difficult to discern how well they were dancing either way with those silly outfits)

Step 4: Go crazy with the lighting.

 

I may have been more forgiving if the show had more diversity overall and wasn't overwhelmingly contemporary.  Given that paso doble and hip hop are my escape, I expect them to be stellar.

 

Other thoughts: the second I heard "Jessica" with "Travis Wall" I knew for sure she was saved.  She is quite stunning as a contemporary dancer.  Also I'm sure they want her dance with Ricky on the tour so they have to save her.  On Carly's end, there's no point keeping her if they're going to get rid of Serge.  I actually anticipated that they would keep Teddy but the end of the broadway routine was just botched so badly, and it was not the right night for them to mess up.  At least his solo was interesting.

 

Also Travis - please stick to group routines.  The boys' routine was absolutely beautiful.  The girls were great too, but I knew I'd forget it as soon as it was over because nothing about it stood out from the sea of contemporary dances we've been getting week after week.

Edited July 31, 2014 by tvloserlife

[Gabby929]

Did anyone else hear an audible "thunk" when each dancer dropped off the stage at the end of the guys dance? It pretty much took me out of the mood of the piece. I still enjoyed it but it was too bad they couldn't have muffled the sound better.

Edited July 31, 2014 by Gabby929

[Mumbles]

My snark about Mandy Moore's questionable musical taste aside, her group dance was good (I too could do without the blah blah girl power) but those costumes were so cheap looking.

We're about to witness the Melanie Mooreification of Jessica. She will be paired with strong partners and given only styles she is comfortable with just so they can ram her through, like they did with Miss Thing three years ago.

[realdancemom]

Casey said in one of his interviews that he is half Japanese.

I was going to say this too.  There was diversity with the guys but not the girls.

[luvthepros]

Is Rudy ballroom? It looks like pretty much everyone is getting their style next week except for Zack and Jenna is Nigel's pet ballroom girl, yes?

And no reason Zack couldn't have gotten HIS style, I mean I would totally watch a Zack/Aaron number.

Rudy said in an interview that he is a Latin Ballroom dancer. Hmmm...we shall see just how much training he has in that style.

 

I would much rather see Jess LeProto dance tap with Zack. He is an awesome tapper/Broadway dancer.

Edited July 31, 2014 by luvthepros

[luvthepros]

Teddy should have been saved. I find him so much more enjoyable to watch....he's a performer, not just a technician. :(

I meant in terms of ethnicity. I mean we started out the show without any African American girl dancers and no Asian dancers which is rare for the show, seeing in past seasons it was usually diverse? I mean it gave us Sasha, Jasmine, Aaron, Katie, Marco, Tadd, Joshua, Cyrus, Fikshun, Alex, Kupono, etc etc.

Casey is half Japanese.

[Mertseger]

I've harped on this topic for the prior thirteen seasons, and so I must shout my glee: Yay! Finally! No more fracking count-down clock on the solos for the sheeple in the audience to shout to!

 

Condolences to all the Jessica haters; however, for me she was in the only two memorable dances to that point in the season and well deserves to be in the top ten even if she can only do contemporary and then only convincingly  express aspiration or glee in her dance. She does do that really well.

 

 

Please Dance Gods have Rudy leave soon.

Token forklift, and, as such, needed if there's a tour. But yeah... The Auntie Scream/Rudy feedback loop of stupidity is my personal vision of Hell.

 

I placed Valerie and Ricky's routine much higher than Monty. The voodoo/zombie aesthetic just does it for me for some reason. It harkens back to Rama Lama, if nothing else. Somehow the safe Halloween through Steampunk spectrum seems to work on this show whereas I do not think we've seen a successful Sci-Fi routine yet.

 

The episode was bookended by some nice Pagan-y themes. Isadora Duncan would have been proud. But what the heck was the golden gunk on the hands supposed to be about? The contagion of artistic inspiration is apparently just like axle grease: overalls instead of togas might be advised when using it. 

[crowceilidh]

I have been a HUGE Cat Deeley fan since her debut on this show.  There are many improvements this season, but Cat seems mentally gone.  What I loved about her was her sincerity and there is some there still, but there is also an awful lot of tone-deaf fake sincerity.  This makes me sad.

[OakGoblinFly]

Other night of mostly “meh” dances.

 

The highlight of the night was Jean-Marc; I adore that crazy French-Canadian.

 

Show, please stop trying to make Jessica happen.  While a lovely dancer (except for the perma-grin) I don’t think there’s anything that special about her.  She’s rather bland; to me, a perfect example of a great technician devoid of emotional connection to the music, her partner, or the routine.  I’d much rather watch Tanisha who in addition to being a great technician has charisma for days and is always connected to the music.  I’d also rather watch Valerie, who while not the best technician out there is always connected to the piece – she radiates joy when she dances and I find that that particular trait really draws me in.

 

Why show, why did you bring back Christina Applegate?  I appreciate that she has a dance background and is genuinely a fan of the show; however, she brings nothing to the panel. Her “critiques” bring new meaning to the word vapid.  I thought she was extremely rude while salivating over Emilo while completely ignoring Bridget. 

 

Is it me, or did Christina Applegate throw a little shade at Misty regarding facial expressions during dance?  Sorry Christina, while I think you may be able to make relevant acting references, I am going to listen to the professional principal ballerina when it comes to dance critiques.

 

The Paso was rather weird; I don’t know if it was the theme, music, costume choices, or what – it just struck me as being very weird.  I will say that I thought that both dancers created some wonderful shapes during the routine and I really liked the intensity that Zach brought.  I am sad that this pair is being broken apart as I think, other than Valerie and Ricky they had/have the strongest connection.

 

My favorite routine of the night was the Valerie and Ricky’s; I thought they both danced it extremely well; it was fun, clever, and interesting.  I was impressed how Valerie was able to go from rag doll limp to sharp/precise rather quickly and that leg wave while in side split was pretty fantastic.  These two seem to genuinely like each other and it shows in their partnership.

 

I do not get Travis Wall and the praise he receives at all.  His routines are rather pedestrian, bland, and something we’ve seen ad nauseam.

I thought the group routines were mostly okay with a slight edge going to the girls’ routine.

And the show really needs to stop with the "Ricky, you're the bestest ev-ah" because (through no fault of his own) I find myself dangerously close to actively rooting against him.

 

Rudy, please dear, SHUT UP!  I am so happy Tanisha is freed from you.  Poor thing was left standing there while Cat again brought up Jacque.

[waving feather]

I would much rather see Jess LeProto dance tap with Zack. He is an awesome tapper/Broadway dancer.

Oh goodness, that would be my dream combo. Jess and Zack! Both are so good at inhabiting the dance and a classic tap/broadway routine would be a dream come true.

Let's hope Rudy is a better Ballroom dancer than he is a contemporary dancer. In that Travis boys routine, he was easily the worst. Yeah, Serge and Emilio were better than him. Incredible he outlasts so many better dancers. That's what a lot of screen time, loud personality and a showmance will do for you. Take note, future SYTYCD wanna-bes.

[Holly F.]

I cannot get over my love for Cat's nickname for Rudy. When she said, "Okay, Scarlett O'Hara, you can come up too," I was more excited at hearing the nickname than I was for Rudy to actually advance. When he is inevitably cut, I imagine that he and Cat will have a bit of a silly cryfest.

[luvthepros]

I'll miss Teddy.Loved watching him. Please Dance Gods have Rudy leave soon. I can't take that big mouth/goggle eyed thing he does one more minute. 

This X 1000.

Damn, I was hoping Jess would be back and they'd pair him with Valerie.

 

I want more tap dammit!

Jess would wipe the floor with Valerie. Now Zack, OTOH, would be a great pair up with Jess.

[luvthepros]

We're about to witness the Melanie Mooreification of Jessica. She will be paired with strong partners and given only styles she is comfortable with just so they can ram her through, like they did with Miss Thing three years ago.

I don't know about that. If I recall, didn't Jessica have to DFYL in Pasadena after the Hip Hop round? She has Twitch as her All Star next week so seems to me she will be performing Hip Hop in the first All Star week. My first thought when Jessica was announced with Twitch was {{this is not good for Jessica.}}

[OakGoblinFly]

On the bright side- I loved the opening.  I thought it was Mia, who I miss.  I loved Mandy Moore’s group routine- she did a great job of showcasing everyone, in my opinion, which is rare in group routines on this show for some reason. 

 

I thought that the opening routine focused too much on Ricky.

[ThirteenthJuror]

 

I missed Misty, especially when Christina Applegate made some comment about how she commented a lot on facial expressions.  Shut up, Christina.  Go schtick it up some more.  They should have kept Misty through the Top 10.  Was there some tension there or something?  Nigel called her out, too.

I think Nigel didn't appreciate that Misty forced he and Mary to talk about technique and performance value and didn't play the producers game. Look what happens when she leaves. Mary's crying. Christina's crying. A show full of unnecessary standing ovations. He probably blames Misty for the low ratings when in actuality it's because of a lackluster group and poor choreography this season. Misty was correct when she said the boys were at a different level this season. Nigel just hates when he can't call these young girls he lusts after each season the beasts. 

 

My favorite routines of the night were again the group numbers. The mini ones that is. That seems to be a running theme each week with me. I just think this cast is better collectively than individually. I actually liked the girl's routine best. The synchronicity was divine. Zach and Ricky were definitely the stars of the boys group number. I know Ricky is nauseating pimped, but he's so good in the group numbers. Btw, Nigel. How does Travis scrotum taste? I can go the rest of my life without hearing them carry on about him each show like he's the King of choreography and seeing Travis face cheesing after.

 

I surprisingly liked Ricky and Valerie's Hip Hop the best tonight. It's the most I've liked Valerie this season. I thought she inhabited the character great. That side elevated-split on the ground sold it for me. The dancing could've been a lot sharper, but for the most part I think the choreography fit their capabilities.

 

I think Carly should have been saved of the girls. She's shown far more versatility than Jessica ever did. They keep trying to make fetch happen with Jessica. I liked her at the beginning of the season, but she's faded each week for me. If her only big moments are going to be emotional Contemporary pieces where she can pull face, then she doesn't need to be there. Casey is just a non-entity to me. He's an excellent technician, but I feel nothing when he dances. I suspect he'll be the first out in top 10 for the guys.

 

Love the shake up with the AS. I love Robert, Allison...etc, but I get tired of seeing them every season. I'm sure they're rotating the AS each week and they'll be back. Love that they brought Jasmine Harper back. The show lacked without a contestant like her this season. Twitch with Jessica should be interesting. Hopefully, he can make her rise to the occasion. Ricky and LoFro was a surprise pairing and I'm interested to see how that shapes up. Jenna and Rudy has the potential to annoy me with the faces they pull. Jenna has that bad habit of looking like she's chewing on cud when she dances ballroom. Between that and Rudy's OMG face I might have to turn the channel. 

[Biggie B]

Two quick questions: 

(1) Who danced the very first routine, in the devilish costumes?

(2) What was the name of the song they danced to, and the artist?

 

Thanks!

[Alison]

Two quick questions: 

(1) Who danced the very first routine, in the devilish costumes?

(2) What was the name of the song they danced to, and the artist?

 

Thanks!

It was Bridget and Emilio, dancing to "Long Road to Hell" by Aviici.

Edited July 31, 2014 by Alison

[Biggie B]

Thank you, Alison!

 

I truly am struggling to distinguish one dancer from the other, especially the girls - and I've been watching this from Day One! 

[luvthepros]

....... Jess and Zack! Both are so good at inhabiting the dance and a classic tap/broadway routine would be a dream come true......

 

Nigel, please make this happen! I don't tweet so would someone PLEASE tweet Nigel about this request. Many thanks.

Edited July 31, 2014 by luvthepros

[susannot]

I thought that the opening routine focused too much on Ricky.

Yes.  I grant that Ricky, the Chosen One, can dance, but I still maintain that he looks like a hobbit.  If I want to watch hobbits dancing, I'll catch a rerun of Lord of the Rings.

 

I was bored with the show and uninterested in the top ten and was going to stop watching, but then CHEHON happened!  I am as excited to see him again as Jacque was with the news that he would be her partner.

[Spicy Bubbles]

Is Mandy Moore capable of choreographing to music made within the current decade? And it's not as if she uses classic music - it's just corny stuff like Celine Dion and Evanescence.

 

When they were talking about 'girl power', I thought maybe she choreographed the dance to a Spice Girls song, and I kind of got excited. Don't judge me?

 

I don't have cable, and my digital antenna signal will be sketchy sometimes. The image will freeze or the sound will cut out. Usually it's annoying, but at some point last night, I think after Rudy & Tanisha's performance (?), my sound cut out right as Mary Murphy started her hootin' & hollerin' "Hot Tamale Train" schtick. It was a blessing in disguise.

I would've preferred Serge stay over Rudy. When Rudy & Tanisha dance, I watch Tanisha. When Serge & Carly danced, I watched Serge. Not knowing anything about the technical aspects of the foxtrot, I thought Serge did quite well.

[meep.meep]

 

Yes.  I grant that Ricky, the Chosen One, can dance, but I still maintain that he looks like a hobbit.  If I want to watch hobbits dancing, I'll catch a rerun of Lord of the Rings.

He looks almost exactly like Daniel Radcliffe.  Maybe he can wear round wire rimmed glasses and do a solo with a broom.

 

The group routines are so much more interesting than any of the pairs.  And why hasn't Mr. Lythgoe dislocated his arms from patting his own back constantly?

[Alison]

Thank you, Alison!

 

I truly am struggling to distinguish one dancer from the other, especially the girls - and I've been watching this from Day One! 

Any time! I'm having the same problem...I couldn't remember Carly's name last night, and I considered her to be one of my favorite female dancers this season. Not good, Uncle Nigel, not good!

[WhineandCheez]

Is this the first time in her life anyone has ever called Valerie "dainty"?

 

It isn't that she is chunky, she just dances chunky and those horrible red shoes must weigh 10 pounds each.  Ade the Forklift will come in real handy.

 

Rudy, with his gummy face, awful hair, clunky dancing, and kid-with-hyperactivity schtick can leave the stage in June.

 

 Tanisha looked pretty for the first time!! She's working the jolie-laide angle!

 

 I am so happy Tanisha is freed from you.  Poor thing was left standing there while Cat again brought up Jacque.

 

Does anyone know if Jacque has reciprocated Rudy's crush?  God, that girl is the best looking one in the show, she doesn't need Rudy.

Edited July 31, 2014 by WhineandCheez

[preex]

Out of the bottom three girls I like Emily the most for contemporary, but her partner connection on the show was not quite there.  I am surprised that Jessica stayed over Carly because Carly did well in all her dances but to be fair, Jessica was laden by some questionable choreography and a new partner every week.  For the guys, it would have been nice to have another hip hop or ballroom guy in the top 10, but I don't disagree with the choice of Casey based on the performances.  The hip hop was a low point for Casey but he did well otherwise.  He just needs to loosen up more in both his dancing and his tv personality.

 

In an afterbuzztv show, Mindy Arnold, the owner of the studio where Tanisha trained, said that Tanisha is more a contemporary dancer who can do ballroom well.  I am wondering if it is the reverse for Rudy because he doesn't seem quite polished in his contemporary.  

 

I loved the guys' mini group piece.  It's amazing how a 2- minutes piece of dance can feel so cinematic.  I also enjoyed the girls' mini group piece, especially when the pace picked up.  With contemporary, I think there is an overlap in the man-woman-sentimental-love-relationship theme between Mandy, Stacey, Travis, Tyce, and others.  The pieces sort of become a bore...uh a blur.  But within that theme, I think Tyce stands out with the maturity in his pieces (Will/Jessica, Emily/Teddy) and Travis brings a young couple sweetness to some of his (Jeanine/Jason, Lauren/Kent, Jessica/Casey).

[Haleth]

I truly am struggling to distinguish one dancer from the other, especially the girls - and I've been watching this from Day One!

 

I know!  Everyone is praising Carly and I'm thinking, "Now, which one was that again?"  At least Jessica stands out from Carly/Emily/Jacquie/Brigid who all blend for me.  Same with Teddy.  I can't remember him or Zack at all.

[Blue Plastic]

Seriously, the ONLY style Jessica has performed decently in is contemporary. Carly has outperformed her every time, but of course Nigel can't let his precious Jessica leave.

Ugh, this!  Very sad to see Carly go.  She has been consistently better than Jessica IMO.  But Jessica had to stay because she appeals to Nigel, and to cement the deal they gave her a good routine that would justify the decision.

 

I would have liked to see Jacque go but I know she wasn't in the bottom.  Too bad because she belongs there IMO.  I don't remember ever seeing her do anything all that amazing.  She looked terrible in the paso (although I know nothing about ballroom so take that with a grain of salt).  She wobbled every time she tried to strike a pose.

 

This was the first time I have enjoyed Valerie in anything.  She did great in the hip hop I thought.  It suited her heavy moves but didn't give her a chance to turn backward and stick her butt out like she does when tapping.

 

I almost always fast forward the judges' comments.  I may listen to one comment just to see how each routine is generally received and whether or not that opinion matches up with my own.  What makes listening to the full comments unbearable:

1.  Christina Applegate and her "aw shut up get out of here" tomfoolery to make up for the fact that she just wants to say she liked the routine and doesn't know how to say it differently each time another couple comes up, so she resorts to this stupidity instead.

2.  Judges will say "you are the best dancer I've ever seen" one week and the next week when that dancer lands in the bottom, they turned around and say, "You have disappointed me.  GTFO."

3. Endless and repetitive butt-kissing for almost all choreographers (except Dimitri).

[Sapphire]

I liked the opening number until Ricky smeared what looked like feces on his shirt.

 

Can someone explain the significance of this to me?  Maybe I missed it, but when he did that it seemed to strange (and gross) to me.  But again, maybe I missed something of import.

[Alison]

I liked the opening number until Ricky smeared what looked like feces on his shirt.

 

Can someone explain the significance of this to me?  Maybe I missed it, but when he did that it seemed to strange (and gross) to me.  But again, maybe I missed something of import.

I think it was gold paint? I noticed he was the only dancer without some sort of gold accent to his costume.

[Cletus Among Us]

Does anyone know if Jacque has reciprocated Rudy's crush?  God, that girl is the best looking one in the show, she doesn't need Rudy.

Yes. Supposedly, that was "the thing you don't know about Jacque" that Zack talked about when the contestants were doing those intros. So really, I guess we have Zack to blame for that whole stupid plot. I want it to die. Cat comes off worse for continuing to bring it up, and it reinforces the image of this crop of dancers as silly kids with little crushes. 

 

I loved the Valerie/Ricky hip hop and Travis Walls' group number for the boys. I felt meh about Mandy Moore's group number for the girls, though I did LOL when I heard the song choice. For once, I'd love it if one of the choreographers did a women's group program that highlighted the strength, athleticism, and playful qualities of the female dancers - like the Jasmine/Comfort hip hop from last season but on a larger scale - instead of putting them in flowy garments and having them flail around each other. Sadly, I wonder about the future of this show and suspect there won't be a next time unless it's later this season. 

Edited July 31, 2014 by Cletus Among Us

[Hoolia]

I love Casey. I've been voting for him. I love watching him dance. He does occasionally come off a bit odd, like last night when he had no reaction when Cat said who his All-Star partner would be, but my armchair diagnosis is that he sometimes seems odd on a reality show just because he is low-key and not desperate to create a big look-at-me reality TV persona or to make sure everyone knows HE IS SO EXCITING! I think it would be terrible to get rid of such a talented dancer when there are others still on who make no impression on me.

 

Rudy, on the other hand, is all about the mugging, and I can't stand him. He can leave anytime. I prefer the more reserved and calm people.

[Hoolia]

Mostly I am super excited to see Chehon again. I think I will really enjoy the rest of the season if I FF>>through the horrible judges' commentary and just watch the dancing with some of my favorite past contestants.

Cat used to be incredibly awesome, and she is still more awesome than most people but she seems like she's been phoning it in the last few episodes. Last night I noticed how often she used the phrase "Let's take a look." Repeatedly pulling out the same selection from her host bag of tricks suggests she's on autopilot.

I would be SO HAPPY if Dan Karaty took over Nigel's judge chair. Nigel contributes nothing useful on air. He just grosses out and irritates people. Surely he can take his navel-gazing to some place online far away from the dance show I love.

[imustbecrazy]

The first half of last night's show was a big pile of "meh";  the second half was a lot more of why I started watching SYTYCD back in season 2.

 

Before the critiques, I will just make the general comment that what is most bringing down the show right now IMHO is the crappy level of judging.  Misty added a welcome degree of substance the last few weeks but we needed some variety.  As OakGoblinFly said, Christina is a genuine fan but that's all she is; she doesn't bring any depth beyond what a typical viewer with a little dance training would bring.  Mary is always going to be Mary, which is sometimes awesome and sometimes not-so-much, but Nigel has stopped giving any substantive technical comments and is instead using his 30 seconds for each routine as his own personal soapbox for whatever he wants to talk about.  He is supposed to be the "reality check" judge but he's not doing it.  Get a 3rd judge who has both charisma and dance "gravitas" and force the other two back into being judges and not cheerleaders.

 

On to the dancing!

 

- Opening group routine:  I liked it  a lot when I first saw it, but I think it was a bit cookie-cutter Contemporary after seeing the two mini-group numbers.  It did seem as though a few of the dancers (*cough* Ricky *cough*) were being obviously pimped in this one.

(With that said, as always in the group numbers the level of execution is insanely good for the most part and is a big reason why I watch this and not American Idol.  Most SYTYCD group numbers are just breathtaking in how well they are done - dancing, costume, lighting, the whole shebang - when you compare to the karoake-meets-Opryland-meets-Donnie-and-Marie group songs that that I remember from Idol.  It may be better now but I gave up on that show years ago.)

 

- Bridget/Emilio:  Not totally impressed with how they danced this one.  Emilio's feet distracted the hell out of me (I'm far from a dance expert, but pretty sure that in Jazz the toes should be pointed some of the time?), it was a nice try but he should have warranted some negative technical comments from the judges.  And he might as well have been dancing with a manikin – Bridget was doing everything correctly but there was no connection with her partner and not nearly enough commitment.

 

- Tanisha/Rudy:  Tanisha was absolutely stunning - probably the best dance she has done so far. Unfortunately, not so much for her partner...  Rudy was very, very bad for me: sloppy technique, wobbly on the holds (I was afraid he would drop her on that one that Mary praised).  This could have been a great dance with a strong male partner whose technique and physical presence matches Tanisha's.  She should shine with the All-Stars.  Rudy's technique is so poor every week that I can't even tell what style he is supposed to be an expert in.

 

- Jacque/Zack:  I agree with many here that it is disappointing to see the Paso ruined constantly with all of the gimmicks.  Ever since Drew and Cheryl did Thriller on DWTS years ago, it seems no one wants to do a traditional Paso anymore.  The dance is as evocative as the Argentine Tango is, with the whole imagery of the matador and his cape...  we don't need all the other crap, just good dancing.  Free the Paso Doble!  I think Zack was just OK here, but IMO Jacque was unsteady and unimpressive and the choreo seemed to be a series of holds and poses.  Not a lot of technique being shown off and the costumes and music were a distraction.  Very disappointing.

 

- Emily/Teddy:  This routine needed dancers more comfortable in the Broadway Jazz style than Emily and Teddy are.  The choreography did them no favors; it required two dancers who really could emote a very particular vibe and Teddy and Emily weren't really up to it. This one started OK but got progressively sloppy and the end was a train wreck.

 

- Jessica/Casey:  OK so I agree that Jessica has struggled outside of her style, and she seems as if she is trying way too hard.  But in terms of pure Contemporary technique (not that I am any sort of authority on that so YMMV) she strikes me as being exceptional.  This was a tour de force for two dancers who were totally in their comfort zone and a choreographer who could throw just about anything he wanted at them knowing it would look great.  You just knew that Travis would throw a unison pirouette sequence-thingie in there with these two (don't know if I am using the proper dance term), but even though you knew it was coming it was a "wow" moment nonetheless.  Whether luck or TPTB, these two took advantage of the obvious gift and once it was over you knew they were in the top 10.  I liked the piece and thought it was technically stunning, even breathtaking at times.  The best-danced couples’ piece of the night (though not my favorite).

 

- Carly/Serge:   I actually thought this was not a half-bad Quick-Step.  Certainly, we have seen much worse on this show.  Both of them had a sense of fun and I really thought they both expressed the style quite well.  Unfortunately these two were doomed after Jessica and Casey finished their dance and it seemed the air had been taken out of the building, because the audience reaction was muted as if everyone knew who would make it through.  I think Carly and Serge danced better than at least 3 other couples tonight, and both probably deserved to be in the top 10 but were run over by the Jessica/Casey love train.

 

OK, full disclosure - I an unabashed Valerie fan, and have been all season.  I agree she is not the most technically spectacular of the remaining dancers, but her obvious joy in dancing is so infectious and wrapped up in such a sincere and likable package (Rudy, take notes - this is how you can be popular without being annoying) that I can't help wanting her to stick around.  I love the feature clip they have for her on the SYTYCD website - she just seems so dang happy to dance that she can't stop smiling the whole time.  Even if she doesn't have the proficiency or showiness of some of the Contemporary girls, watching her in the mini-group number I thought she was holding her own quite well.  Plus she's from my home state, so yeah - take my critique with a grain of salt…

 

- Valerie/Ricky:  My favorite couples’ dance of the night.  Loved the premise and the choreography was clever and fun.  I can’t do hip hop to save my life, so I don’t know if what they were doing was all that challenging or not (except for the side-split leg wave Valerie did – OUCH).   I do think they got down “in the pocket” when they needed to and I think Valerie nailed the whole “rag-doll” feel that was demanded.  I personally like when Valerie can’t help grinning in some of the fun parts – seems like a natural reaction to the dance than trying to mug for the camera.  As usual, they both dive into the performance head-first like no one else seems able to do, and they work their tails off to entertain.

 

I think that the right two dancers probably made it through, of those who were voted into the bottom 6.  There were at least 4 “safe” dancers in the top 10 who should thank their lucky stars they had already made it through:  Rudy, Emily, Jacque and Bridget - because Emily and Serge should probably be through instead.

 

I absolutely LOVED the two mini-group numbers.  Well worth the wait and the best performances of the night.  The girls' number was great because there was no story...  it was just celebrating beautiful strong dancing.  Gorgeous.  And the guys' number was an amazing concept, I loved the physicaliy of it and the rolling-wave concept of all of the movement.  One of the better Travis routines I have seen.  Goose-bumps on both.

 

My picks for strongest All-Star pairings:
- Zack and Amy:  natural fit
- Ricky and Lauren:  umm, yeah…
- Tanisha and Ryan:  finally a partner who can keep up with her
- Valerie and Ade:  his strength, masculinity and interesting way of moving will be a good fit
- Casey and Kathryn:  because KATHRYN! (sorry she’s one of my favorites)

 

My picks for “Uh-oh” All-Star pairings:
- Rudy and Jenna:  no way he can keep up with her
- Jacque and Chehon:  for me, she just has not had any memorable performances yet
- Bridget and Brandon:  she will have to up her game…
- Emilio and Jasmine:  an opportunity for him to step up, but he may not be up to it
- Jessica and Twitch:  put this as an “uh oh” because while this could be really good, and I am a huge Twitch fan…  she had better bring her A game

Edited July 31, 2014 by imustbecrazy

[preex]

- Emilio and Jasmine:  an opportunity for him to step up, but he may not be up to it

 

They are doing hip hop, right?  I'd think Emilio is way stronger than Jasmine in that, especially if it involves popping.  Of course there is always a chance that they get a lyrical/jazz hip hop.

[imustbecrazy]

They are doing hip hop, right?  I'd think Emilio is way stronger than Jasmine in that, especially if it involves popping.  Of course there is always a chance that they get a lyrical/jazz hip hop.

I hadn't heard what style they were doing... If he does get hip hop then he should shine. But I wasn't sure if it's been settled as to what style(s) they are doing?

[phoenix780]

I have a strong suspicion that Jessica/Twitch will be more along the lines of Katee/Twitch "Mercy" back in the day than, say, Alex/Twitch.  I also feel like he's the best chance of pulling some personality out of her, which I think is missing.  And even if he doesn't, he's enough of a force, imho, that he can carry through and make a routine feel fun, which will help her immensely.  In other words...unless she falls, I think she'll float through on a bed of compliments.

 

Rudy, on the other hand, is all about the mugging, and I can't stand him. He can leave anytime. I prefer the more reserved and calm people.

 

See...I feel like he's genuine in his mugging, if that makes any sense.  What bothers me about it is that he gives me flashbacks to Kent from a few seasons ago, and in my memory they told Kent to grow the hell up when dances.  I'm waiting for them to say the same thing about Rudy.

 

imustbecrazy- I second everything you said about Valerie.  I love her personality.  I get that her dancing is sometimes heavy, and yet I don't care because she's my favorite right now.  Which doesn't bode well for her, so I apologize for that.  Still- she radiates joy to me through my television, and that's a helluva lot more than some of the other contestants are capable of doing right now.

[peachmangosteen]

I love Casey. I've been voting for him. I love watching him dance. He does occasionally come off a bit odd, like last night when he had no reaction when Cat said who his All-Star partner would be ...

 

I thought he just couldn't really hear/was distracted by just being saved.

 

I was glad Carly was eliminated as I just did not like her personality at all. Or her face. I like how she is always crying yet there is never any tears. LOL.

 

This is so shallow, but Casey's face is just weird. I find it distracting. And he just doesn't really do it for me dance-wise. he looks like every other decent contemporary guy IMO. However, I like his personality and reactions a lot, so I'm OK with him staying. I wish it'd been Teddy though. He was great and a much better performer than Casey, I think.

[Heather Lynn]

That dress for the paso was an abomination to fashion. There were at least 5 different patterns in the stockings and sleeves alone. That thing on her head even fell apart. I was so confused when they praised it. Hopefully, Zack will survive it as he's one of my favorites.

I like Tanisha more every week and actually like Scarlet O'Hara but I just can't anymore with his face. He looks like he's 12 and it actually took me out of the number each time he was facing the camera.

Congratulations Mandy for choreographing more than one number I loved. At the rate she had been going, even a second number that was "meh" would've been an improvement. She has been love one/loathe the other for the past two seasons.

First time all season that I really loved all of the group numbers so that's a step in the right direction.

While I like Jessica and am glad she was saved, I agree with the comments about her expressions. I wanted them to save Teddy because, while I loved Casey's duet, I thought his solo was horrible. I loved Teddy's who got extra points from me for using that song!!

[Electruck]

I thought he just couldn't really hear/was distracted by just being saved.

The way they did the all-star announce and photo was different for Casey, and I wondered if we West Coast folks saw something different from those in the East. For others, it was tell & show the all-star pic, but for Casey, they told him, then showed him, then told Jessica, showed her, and showed Kathryn and Twitch's photos at the same time. I'd wondered if, when they showed Casey's non-reaction, they were actually showing him well after he heard. Just odd his reaction then the photo delay.

I'd rather have Serge and Carly than Casey and Jessica, but I do think Casey's done better than Serge.

I was surprised someone complimented Travis on his music selections, because I think his selections are often <SimonCowell> indulgent </SiminCowell>.

[beeble]

Is the Ryan who will be partnering with Tanisha the ballroom dancer who was married to Ashley (who was Jacob's partner)? Or is there another Ryan out there?

[Jobiska]

The way they did the all-star announce and photo was different for Casey, and I wondered if we West Coast folks saw something different from those in the East. For others, it was tell & show the all-star pic, but for Casey, they told him, then showed him, then told Jessica, showed her, and showed Kathryn and Twitch's photos at the same time. I'd wondered if, when they showed Casey's non-reaction, they were actually showing him well after he heard. Just odd his reaction then the photo delay.

 

I noticed that discrepancy with the photos too, but even before they got to Casey, it seemed like a lot of the dancers had (shorter) delays, like they didn't recall the names until the face showed up for them, and then they were like "aha, yeah, I know who that is now."  They didn't react in the split second after they heard the name.  Casey's was just more delayed is all, so I assume it was because he didn't see a photo as quickly as the others.  Of course, almost everyone would recognize the name Twitch so Jessica didn't have the delay despite perhaps not seeing a photo quickly.

Of the 6 unsafe people, the last people I wanted to make it through did.  I love Serge--he just seems so cheery and willing to work, or something.  

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I liked the opening number but I didn't love it. I really liked that the guys got to do lifts (as in being lifted as opposed to being the lifters), so thanks to Stacy Tookey for that.

 

Once we get to the top ten, can we finally have individual dancers during the intros instead of the pairs? I really wish they would go back to the S1 format where the dancers had new partners for the entire season because it puts everyone at a slightly more fair advantage (as opposed to the new couples who are formed due to their partners being eliminated which I feel puts them at a disadvantage, especially the later into the season we get). And based on who was in the top eight versus the bottom six, it looks like America is voting for couples this season, which is so stupid. I hated when we had to vote for couples in the earlier seasons and was so glad when we were finally allowed to vote for individual dancers from the beginning. Honestly when the bottom six were left on the stage, I couldn't remember most of their names, especially the girls. I don't know if that says more about my bad memory or their inability to make an impression on me.

 

I knew I couldn't hope to keep Misty all season, but I really wish she had been here for one more week. She seems much more impartial than Nigel and Mary, so it would have been nice to have her here for the last week that the judges get to decide who to cut. Christina Applegate gets too emotionally invested in the dancers for me to trust her with these kinds of decisions. I like that she's so passionate about dance in general and the dancers on this show, but her comments are more about how SHE felt than the dancers themselves (unless you count her gushing, "OMG, I just love you").

 

I had mixed feelings about Bridget and Emiilio's jazz routine. I wasn't wild about it but I hesitate to criticize a dance that wasn't the usual contemporary or hip hop lite that this show is inundated with. Mary's critique, however, was terrible. "Emilio, I think Ray nailed it with your type of movement and Bridget, I think you're beautiful." Seriously? That's it? She complimented the choreographer and told Bridget that she's attractive. How is that a critique of their dancing and performance? I liked that Christina Applegate gave a concrete comment to Emilio about facial expressions, and her analogy with acting and having the right intent was interesting, I disagree that the right facial expression just happens when you're dancing with the right intent though - I know dancers who have total bitchface when they're dancing which is not always appropriate for the routine. I also know dancers whose natural expression while dancing is totally happy which again is not always appropriate for the dance they are doing. That's why it is important to know what your face is doing and to make sure that is part of your rehearsal/performance.

 

I try not to be too judgmental about people's appearances but GOOD LORD I am so tired of Rudy making faces. It feels like every time he knows the camera is near him, he feels the need to contort his face into the most rubbery looking mask possible. He actually has a really nice normal face when he's relaxed and not mugging. I love Mandy Moore's unabashed use of cheesy music like Celine Dion. I thought this was a nice contrast to the routine that Rudy and Tanisha did last week, which was a sassy sexy. This week was a more sensual kind of sexy, but again without being overtly sexual. I thought Christina's comment about how it felt like Rudy was dancing with his eyes closed and just feeling Tanisha was great, but then of course she had to balance that out by just saying she doesn't know how to describe Tanisha. I don't know why she goes back and forth between articulate and unable to use her words. Were she and Mary told to keep their comments short so that Nigel could blather as long as he likes?

 

Last week I couldn't stop staring at Jacque's underbite/jutting chin and trying to figure out why it made her look so familiar to me. This week I finally figured out that she reminds me of Giada De Laurentiis. I find it fascinating that Zach looks like such a young innocent Howdy Doody during the interviews but he manages to looks so mature and masculine when he dances. Thank you to the editors for keeping Jean Marc's wackiness during rehearsal to a minimum. I don't need to see his over the top crap for more than a few seconds.

 

I liked Emily and Teddy's Broadway routine. It was nice to see a Broadway dance with a lot of technique and style without an excess of story or relying on props. I liked that Warren Carlyle kept the concept simple so that it was about the dancing. Emily doesn't have a very flexible back. I remember noticing it in an earlier episode but I noticed it again this week. My issue was with the performance. Emily and Teddy weren't in synch and even when they were it felt like they were performing separately. Bonus points to Warren for using Kiss Me Kate!

 

Was the wind machine really necessary for Jessica and Casey's contemporary routine? I know what Christina meant when she said that being touched and moved and electrified is what makes dance so amazing, but I didn't feel that with this routine. Maybe it was different to be in the theater watching this live though. I have been moved to tears while watching dance so I feel left out because I didn't feel whatever it was that all the judges felt that deserved a standing ovation.

 

I liked Carly and Serge's quickstep. They had good energy which is a challenge with this dance. Serge was light and his feet were sharp. Carly was not quite up to that level, but she did well. Of course, what I know about the quickstep I learned from SYTYCD and DWTS so take my opinion with a grain of salt.

 

Ricky and Valerie's hip hop - I enjoyed seeing Ricky being creepy but afterward when they zoomed in on his face during judging, he looked too much like Daniel Radcliffe. Valerie did better than I thought she would, but she wasn't sharp or strong enough for my taste.

 

Man, I have really missed the solos. I wish they had let the bottom six do solos every week. I thought it was brave of Serge to keep his solo strictly ballroom without any flashy flips or other tricks. Carly's was the typical contemporary solo I expect but she had a nice pirouette sequence. Casey's was a typical competition routine with a lot of tricks but props to him for those turns. Poor Emily had her solo so close to her regular dance routine. That must have been stressful. Teddy's solo didn't wow me but major bonus points for using Shai! Jessica's solo was typical "I'm so sexy, look at me!"

 

I've enjoyed the mini dance lesson segments from the choreographers this season, but it's been interesting to see the difference between the way they teach. Jean Marc has been the most disappointing so far. He's not teaching anything overly difficult and anyone with the least bit of dance experience could follow along, but I could see a casual viewer having the most trouble picking up his choreography (as opposed to the sequences that the other choregraphers have taught).

 

Even though the Cyrus/Twitch interview was just an ad for the new Step Up movie, I liked that Cyrus mentioned that being on SYTYCD helped him prepare because it taught him about taking direction, camera angles, etc. I know that's just more Nigel shilling but at least he was specific about how being on the show helped him instead of the usual "it was such a great experience!" comments.

 

I really liked Mandy's group routine. I loved that Mandy's concept was just having them all be strong powerful women dancing together. There was no complicated story, just great choreography performed with good technique. There were some really beautiful moments. I really loved that each girl got to shine, and I was really glad that each dancer had a different color/style dress so that we could tell who was who even from a distance. Don't get me wrong - I'm fine with the dancers wearing identical costumes during the big group numbers (mostly because it can look messy if they're dressed too differently) but this was a great example of having similar but different costumes so that you have a similar look but you can still differentiate between the individuals. I also loved that the dancers were running in and out, weaving themselves into the formation (and again without looking messy which can be an issue with changing formations and having people leave the formation for a solo).

 

So between last week's group routine and this week's guys' routine, has Travis started getting into cheerleading stunts? I have never been a fan of Travis's choreography but I really liked this one. Once again, this routine makes me wish Travis would stop doing all the angsty emo comtemporary dances. This is another example that demonstrates you can have a concept for a dance which is easily understood by the audience without a complicated explanation by the choreographer. Even if they didn't have the blue lights and costumes, I would have seen the wave idea in the choreography. THAT is what I want, show. I don't want Mia's stupid overrated dead daddy dance which would have had a fraction of the emotional impact without her explanation. A dance should be able to stand on its own, just the choreography and the dancing. If the audience can't connect to a dance without the costumes, sets, lighting, and five minute explanation of the specific angst you are trying to convey, then quite frankly it's not a very good dance.

 

I was not happy about the elimination. Jessica? Really? I would have much rather had Carly stay. I felt her technique and her personality were stronger, and she was more successful in other styles. While Casey has amazingly controlled turns, I would have preferred Serge or Teddy to make the top ten.

 

ETA:

 

Is the Ryan who will be partnering with Tanisha the ballroom dancer who was married to Ashley (who was Jacob's partner)? Or is there another Ryan out there?

Yes to both your questions! Tanisha is being paired with Ryan Di Lello, the ballroom dancer who is married to Ashleigh Di Lello. There was another Ryan in S1 who was a breakdancer. He dances with Quest Crew (which Hok and Dominic from S3 are also part of).

Edited August 1, 2014 by ElectricBoogaloo

[realdancemom]

I always dread double eliminations and this wasn't an exception.  How convenient that the bottom six performed Broadway, quickstep, and contemporary with Travis.  Any of these three couples would have done the best with contemporary.

 

For Serge and Carly, they couldn't give them a Latin ballroom number?  Serge would have killed that and I'm sure he would have helped Carly during the week.  They did break hold in the middle but that's on the choreography and they were too far apart in hold.   Still, they didn't look that bad in the quickstep.  

 

I agree with the judges that the Broadway started out o.k. but then they lost it towards the end.  Any dancer that wants to be on SYTYCD needs to study Fosse and other Broadway styles because Nigel gets really nit-picky when a dancer doesn't capture the style the way he wants them to.  So that didn't help Teddy and Emily.

 

Casey and Jessica did do well in their contemporary number.  However, Carly and Serge also did an amazing Sonya number and Teddy and Emily also did great in Tyce's contemporary.  Therefore, for the girls, I would have chosen Carly instead of Jessica because she had a more consistent run and did well outside of her genre.  Out of the three female solos, Jessica's was the weakest.  Carly's did look like a competition solo but she did have a nice turn sequence.  Jessica's looked similar to her other solos and she needs to show more variety.

 

There are both positive and negatives with the bottom three guys.  I would have preferred Teddy for his versatility/uniqueness or Serge because he is a really good Latin ballroom dancer.  They need somebody to partner Tanisha for any ballroom numbers in the tour.  I guess that could be Rudy.

 

Maybe, the other four will be alternates on tour.  I was hoping that would be Nigel's good news.  When he said that the good news is that the judges were unanimous in their decision, I was thinking, "How is that good news for those that are leaving?"

 

I think the top 10 couldn't really hear Cat when she was announcing the all stars.  That's why they didn't react until they saw their pictures.  Since they didn't show Kathryn's pic right away, I think Casey didn't know who he had as an all star.  That's why he didn't have a reaction.  He also seems to have a reserved personality.  Unfortunately, it shows when he performs too.  Next week, the judges better acknowledge Ryan. 

Edited August 1, 2014 by realdancemom

[Bella]

Cat's just phoning it in this season - I don't know what the problem is, but she gives me a distinct vibe of not wanting to be there anymore. I keep waiting for her to perk back up, but each week she seems like she'd rather be home with some red wine and chocolate. She does have the "grit your teeth and smile" thing down, but in the past she's been so much more into it that I feel like I'm seeing beyond that.

[imustbecrazy]

I was listening to the Afterbuzz podcast this morning and they had Mandy Moore as a guest...  it was very very good.  I wish Mandy could take a week off of choreography and be a judge, because she is really honest and substantive with both her praise and critiques.  I haven't listened to the whole thing yet but a few interesting highlights were:

 

- her thoughts on detailed "stories" for a dance (she doesn't like doing that, prefers to keep it simple)

- Bridget was sick on show day this week (may have been why she was "flat" in performance);

- Tanisha and Rudy's number (that Mandy choreographed) was apparently a train-wreck in dress rehearsal;

- Serge is probably the hardest-working dancer they have ever seen on the show;

- not totally impressed with Casey's solo (she said he should have "turned it on" sooner than this week's elimination);

- wants to see Valerie show more individually now that she won't have Ricky (I would agree with that even though I am a Valerie fan)

 

Those were just snippets, there was a lot more...  I have to say I always admired Mandy's choreography but I really like her now after listening to that conversation.

Edited August 1, 2014 by imustbecrazy

[preex]

I haven't listened to the whole thing yet but a few interesting highlights were:

 

Some more highlights (Afterbuzz podcast with guest Mandy Moore):

 

- Sometimes she selects her own music and sometimes she takes the producers' suggestions.  They like to suggest power ballads because they feel she does them well. (sounds like Evanescence for the group piece was a suggestion)

- Choreographers aren't asked to provide feedback on the dancers this year.  But they are free to provide feedback to the production anyway.

- Music clearance is an issue.  It is possible that you find out music is not clear the day before rehearsal after you already created the piece.  (Travis mentioned in one of the interviews that he found out the music didn't clear the day before his top 16 mini group piece.)

- She said the Casey/Jessica piece was an incredible moment.  She said very rarely do they feel that in the studio but it was like the air was still, everything went away, and she was just watching two people in space creating magical shapes, having chemistry together, and telling a story.

- There is a tour.  She is supposed to be working on it.

- For the group piece, she had 3 hours on the first day on camera so it's not very productive.  Then 3 more hours the next day, and 3 more hours the day after.

- One of the hosts commented on Jacque's movement, and Mandy said Jacque doesn't move very fast, her style is about long and sinewy movement, and her fast twitch muscles aren't like those of a more athletic type of dancer.  (I think that is more noticeable on Jourdan and mabye Emily.)

Edited August 1, 2014 by preex

[crowceilidh]

Thanks for the reports - I can't stand the fake girly voices of the wavy blonde and the redhead - I gave it 8 minutes and shut it off even though I really want to know what Mandy said.

[luvthepros]

I'm most sad to see Teddy emilinated. I really like him and his dancing. Teddy is not just a Hip Hopper...he is trained in tap and I've seen one of his dance reels. Looks to me like he is also trained in the Broadway style. I loved his latest routine with Emily but I knew in my heart Teddy's dancing and performance was not quite up to par.

 

I had visions of Bob Fosse performing the to the same music in "Kiss Me Kate". After thoroughly enjoying Bob Fosse I realized Teddy is no where near Fosse's calibre. Here is Bob Fosse dancing with Carol Haney. This is classic......

 

http://youtu.be/z0UFGOsabJo

Edited August 1, 2014 by luvthepros

[adam807]

I'm surprised I haven't seen any outrage anywhere on the internet that that Fosse number was...a Fosse number. Like it wasn't Fosse-style, it was almost exactly the choreography from the movie. How is that okay? I mean, I'd actually LOVE to see the dancers do classic choreography from the Broadway, ballet, or modern repertoires, but, you know, with proper credit given!

[luvthepros]

I think the top 10 couldn't really hear Cat when she was announcing the all stars.  That's why they didn't react until they saw their pictures.  Since they didn't show Kathryn's pic right away, I think Casey didn't know who he had as an all star.  That's why he didn't have a reaction...... 

Casey was elated when he reacted to finding out Kathryn is his All Star. I don't know for sure when he finally realized, heard, saw her picture or what not but his delayed reaction certainly said it all to me. He reacted as soon as he realized who his partner was going to be.

Edited August 1, 2014 by luvthepros