S11.E11: Top 10 Perform + Eliminations

[Bella]

 

All-stars return to perform with this season's top 10 finalists; dancers face elimination.

 

[susannot]

I freaking LOVE Jasmine, as I said ad nauseum back on TWOP.  She is so gorgeous and so amazing, and should have won last season.

[susannot]

CHEHON!  It was beautiful, but did they skip some moves that they did in rehearsal?

[Heather Lynn]

What's that? Bridget is still here? Let's give her Bollywood Disco to make sure she goes next week.....

[Dejajeva]

When did Zach get so tall and kind of good looking? God I hope he doesn't leave. I just can't even deal with how awesome he is.

[susannot]

Since Rudy 'n' Ricky continued to look like hobbits, as even Nigel admitted tonight.  I'm waiting to see whether Jacque is voted out, as I would vote for her just to continue to see CHEHON.

[Dejajeva]

YESssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss! Thank God!

[mojoween]

"Only Ade could do a press-up with a lady on his back" was an absolutely adorable sentence.

That was the best part of the routine right there.

I want to watch Kathryn and Chehon's routine during Christina Perri over and over and over again.

Having Tanisha start in shadow and Ryan dressed in dark colors was brilliant. He just appeared to pop out of nowhere and I loved the surprise of it.

That Argentine Tango became one of my favorite routines of all time from minute one. Tanisha's movement is fabulous. And Ryan is so so strong, he's what this show misses a lot...a full grown man dancing.

Who is the guy Tanisha is going to pair with next week? I don't recognize him at all.

Rudy may be a lot of things, but I would personally never ever use the adjective "hot." Tara and I both say "I can't with you" but I imagine that we mean two very different things.

When Cat said that the two actors brought along a clip of their movie all I could think was that they actually brought along a reel in a tin canister and the producers are showing the clip on a projector in the back of the room. God I'm such a dork sometimes.

Jasmine's hair and makeup were wretched. I didn't even recognize her.

Who won Kathryn's season? Russell?

What were the judges talking about after the second hip hop? I didn't see anyone dancing with tWitch. All I saw was his fine ass, even as a sad old man.

Edited August 7, 2014 by mojoween

[shortpplfedup]

Ding dong, Bridget's finally gone. Shame she took Emilio with her, I think he might have had another week in him.

This episode was decidedly meh other than the Argentine tango, the ballet and the Zach/Amy contemporary number, which were all gorgeously done. Lo Fro was great in that fab Mandy Moore number, but Ricky was not.

Btw show, when you're leaning on a contemporary/commercial dancer to do hip hop, you officially haven't cast enough hip hop girls over the years. I love Jasmine, but a hip hop dancer she ain't.

I predict Valerie and Casey shuffling off next week. Valerie is simply graceless, and Casey is a nothing up on that stage. Even dancing with Kathryn, whom I consider the blandest of oatmeal, he couldn't register some presence. Shame, because that number was well-choreographed.

[LoquaciousAudacity]

I could watch Chehon all day. And then some. 

 

Kathryn is still, and always will be, one of my favorite dancers. She should've won her season. She is always the MVP. I even liked her acting in Step Up. Watching Chehon and Kathryn together was magic. 

 

Zach and Casey made me really like them tonight. I still don't get Jessica. And Ricky is a great dancer, but I feel nothing for him. With Danny, I felt magic. With Ricky, I feel "meh". 

 

I love when they bring in the All-Stars. And I hope Chehon comes back, because...well, see my first statement. The man is magic. 

[luvthepros]

It broke my heart to see Zack cry tonight. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to hear if he was safe. The only reason I would guess Zack was in the bottom tonight is that he is too mature for all the younger viewers who do most of the voting. He was stunning tonight. Absolutely lovely routine.

[Heather Lynn]

Who is the guy Tanisha is going to pair with next week? I don't recognize him at all.

That was Nick from the rarely-referenced season 1...and I'm so happy!!

Liked the opening number but would have loved it if they were not wearing so many colors. It's a pet peeve but I can't stand that many colors randomly slapped together. Blech!! Dance = 8; Costuming = 4 because I actually liked them if I ignore the colors.

I wish they would let Brandon be an all-star for something other than Bollywood, Disco and now Bollywood Disco. That said, his usual sharp movements didn't help Bridget when compared to her much softer ones.

Hah!! Mandy Moore's twitter handle is @nopenother. That dance was adorable...especially that last roll. Ricky & Lauren were great.

Tanisha and Ryan were amazing! She has quickly become my favorite girl. Jessica is not far behind. Her hip hop with tWitch was my second favorite of the night.

My favorite of the night was Zack & Amy. That number was gorgeous and I'm so happy he's safe!!! Curse you America for leaving Zack in the bottom and curse me for not voting last week. He's my favorite guy with Ricky as a close second.

[kechara]

Travis - getting better . or something. I've liked 3 of his routines this year now. 

Was it just me or did tWitch look like Bill Cosby?

I liked the Sonja number as well. And both of Nappy Tabs numbers were enjoyable I thought.

 I predict that this is the end of the line for Valerie.  For the guys...Rudy.  Not that I'm ever right. But my guess is on record now.

[rlc]

Whenever the judges go on and on about their emotional responses to the dances, I roll my eyes and fast forward through the commentary. Dammit show- you got me tonight. Zack actually brought tears to my eyes. He is a stunning dancer, and has excelled at every style.

[vibeology]

Jasmine and Emilio might have danced the performance of the season tonight. When Nigel was going on at the end about how only contemporary makes people feel things I was screaming at my TV because I came alive when Jasmine came out of that basket. That was some of the best dancing I have ever seen on this show. They were both in the pocket, both so connected, so fierce and so strong. I'm glad he got that dance before he went home because Emilio was killing it. And Jasmine was spectacular.

 

Tanisha and Ryan had my next favourite performance. It was sexy, powerful, romantic, connected and all around amazing. She is the strongest woman in this competition by far. She is so able to inhabit a character, she's flexible, sharp yet soft. She can do slinky and she can do strength. That versatility is not matched by anyone else in the top 10.

 

I also really enjoyed Jacque and Chehon, Ricky and LoFro, Zack and Amy and Bridget and Brandon. I had a feeling I'd be losing her and Emilio because last week's routine was so blah but its a shame because I think she's much better than what we've gotten to see. I rewatched that girls routine last week and after Tanisha, she was the one who caught my eye. She has grace and power. I don't have a problem with the eliminations but I'm sad to see her and Emilio go.

 

I don't like Jessica and maybe that's messing with my judgement, but I really feel like her "Hip Hop" had more in common with Ricky's jazz than it did with Emilio's number. They gave her "hip hop lite" and still tWitch left her in his dust. She isn't able to play a part the way he is and so all there is is good but not great dancing next to someone who is bringing it on all levels. 

 

Valerie's routine was a mess. She is herself at all times which didn't work at all for this number. Ade was less forklift-y than I was expecting but it wasn't a great number. Rudy, like Valerie, can only be himself but that works in a Cha Cha. Still, I felt no chemistry between him and Jenna. Probably not his fault as Jenna has never met a camera she didn't love but it dragged the routine down. His footwork was alright. You can tell that its not his first time with Latin dance so that's a plus. I'd like to see these two go home next week.

 

I basically forgot about Casey until now. He's bland and has a face like Andrew Rannells so I wouldn't be sad to lose him either. 

 

And in what world could Travis ever choreograph for a ballet company, Nigel? Did I miss when Travis became a trained ballet dancer? He's good at choreographing for this show but that doesn't mean he could walk into ABT or whoever Nigel name-dropped and get a job.

[shortpplfedup]

I want to see Tanisha and Zack dance together. Any style. I think that could really be something.

[aps817]

I'm amazed that there's no more hip hop dancers. This might be a first.

[Thog]

On what planet does Zack belong in the bottom 2?? I will say that I love watching Ricky dance, and I do believe that he will win (and will probably deserve to). But while he's always been technically good, I feel like Zack has been stunning recently. Maybe it's because my expectations are lower? I don't know, but I may just have to figure out this whole voting system and give Zack some love. That was nerve-wracking.

 

I'd like to know who is voting for Rudy. He danced well tonight, but he was trying harder to connect with the camera than with Jenna, and overall I find him unwatchable. At least they finally called him on the mugging.

 

Nigel telling Cat to not bother opening the envelope with Ricky's results was just offensive. Ricky looked more uncomfortable with that statement than he did when he was told he looks like a hobbit (also uncalled for, though Nigel isn't the first to say that).

 

If they keep the boy-girl format to the end, I hope Tanisha is the last girl standing. But I'd really like to see a Ricky-Zack final two.

 

I watched the first 30 minutes with my 7-year-old son. As he went to bed he told me how much he loved Bridget's and Emilio's numbers, and he choreographed his own snake dance hip-hop as he brushed his teeth. I don't know how I'll break it to him in the morning.

[Dejajeva]

I'm sad for Valerie because I think she'll be gone and I really like her but I'm glad she made it to the tour. 

I'm sad for Valerie because I think she'll be gone and I really like her but I'm glad she made it to the tour. 

[libraryone]

I also thought that Twitch was channeling Bill Cosby.

My two favorite dancers are Tanisha and Zach. To me, they're the best at adapting to other styles and throwing themselves into the performance. Ricky is very talented, but he looked juvenile next to Lauren, as did Casey with Kathryn. And Rudy acts about 13 when he isn't dancing, so I can't be bothered.

As for Jessica, she's good at contemporary, but I find her bland otherwise. I enjoy watching Valerie's pleasure in dancing, but she really showed her limitations tonight. And Jacque is pleasant but somewhat forgettable to me.

Edited August 7, 2014 by libraryone

[vibeology]

On what planet does Zack belong in the bottom 2?? 

 

On the planet where that Paso Doble he dances last week with Jaque was awful. So you know, this one. The frustrating thing is that its not their fault. The concept, the music, the direction and the choreography were bad and there was no saving that. Just like Emilio and Bridget with that stupid devil dance and ugly costumes. The bottom four were screwed with producer choices more than anything they did wrong. As long as this show goes out of its way to protect Valerie, Rudy, Jessica and Casey good dancers like Zack will be in danger. I like Ricky more than Zack but Zack is leagues ahead of Casey and Rudy in terms of skill. (And Emilio who I would have put right in the middle of the guys, skillwise.)

[beeble]

Tanisha and Ryan were amazing, as were Chehon and Jacque.  Good heavens, those were wonderful to watch.  Ricky and Lauren had one of those routines that, if given to the wrong pair would have been the snooze-fest of the night. But they were so enjoyable. And Ricky is younger than Lauren? He strikes me as so much more mature than 18.  

 

How in the name of all that is true and holy is Rudy still with us? I can't believe how irritable he makes me.  I am hoping against hope that Alison bitch-slaps him into maturity.  

[preex]

re Jasmine and Emilio

That was some of the best dancing I have ever seen on this show. They were both in the pocket, both so connected, so fierce and so strong. I'm glad he got that dance before he went home because Emilio was killing it. And Jasmine was spectacular.

 

I totally agree, for me that was the best of the night.  I loved the concept, the choreography, the dancing, and the performance.  Jasmine in that costume was almost gorgeous to the point of being unfair to her partner, but Emilio still kept me interested in them, not just her.  My love for this Nappytaps choreography does not carry over to their other choreography for Jessica/Twitch, at all.

 

I think the lighting department kind of let the Tanisha/Ryan and Jacque/Chenon pieces down a bit.  The argentine tango was executed flawlessly but the bright yellow and green light took away some of the tension and impact of the dance.  The contemporary ballet needed a bit of color to contrast the costumes and movements.  I thought Jacque/Chenon had a few little kinks at the beginning of that piece but it got lovely and fluid.

 

Zack again proved himself to be a versatile dancer.  I've always thought he dives right into his dance/performance but this is the first week that it really came through on the screen.  Ricky was great as expected, in both dancing and characterization.  Poor Casey talking about performing with his face when he doesn't seem to have a wide range of facial expression. Ha.  

 

Valerie.  I like her personality but i thought this was her worst week.  She looked like she was marking some of the steps with hardly any intention behind them.  

 

That cha cha seems slow and very dwts like.  Lots of dancing from Jenna.

Edited August 7, 2014 by preex

[vibeology]

  Poor Casey talking about performing with his face when he doesn't seem to have a wide range of facial expression. Ha.  

 

He has that plastic Ken doll face that Andrew Rannells from The New Normal and The Book of Mormon has and it creeps me out. He just looks so smooth and it does actually impact his ability to emote in a dance. It wasn't too bad tonight because his character was playing it cool, but its a real weakness overall.

[Toaster Strudel]

Rudy is nine years old and the slowest in his class.  It's like he's not quit right up there.

[crowceilidh]

Zack's been my favourite since the first performance show, so I was seriously irked by JMG's choreo for him last week - it was crap, as was the costuming, the lighting, the music choice etc.  This better be the reason he was in danger tonight, America -- I'm looking at you.

 

That was the first thing I've enjoyed Valerie's dancing in.  But then Ade was there and that always makes me go a little soft in the head.

 

Now, I'm sorry that I gave in and finally dissed Cat last week, because she seemed all lovely and back to normal tonight to me.  Also, great hair colour.

 

I hate Tara Lipinski. She is freaking irritating.

[ThirteenthJuror]

Best dance of the night and the only dance of the season I watched immediately after goes to Jasmine and Emilio. Whomever said Jasmine is not a Hip hop dancer needs to inform her body and all the top Hip Hop choreographers constantly hiring her in the industry right now. She's multi-talented/trained in Contemporary, pointe, Tap and Hip Hop.  She murdered that to the point that I was only watching her for parts of it. Sad that Emilio left on a night where his dance was so damn good.

 

Who's voting for Rudy? No seriously; stop that. He gets more and more painful to watch every show. That Cha Cha was a mess to me. A whole lot of looking for the camera and mugging from Jenna and lost in the sauce from Rudy. I swear it looked like he caused Jenna to tumble at the end. Are the judges paid to not give him any real criticism? I just don't get it. He's becoming that celebrity on Dancing With the Stars that outstays their welcome with the mediocre dancing, knocking out better dancers.

 

Tanisha is my favorite girl and she can do no wrong in my eyes. That Argentine Tango was my second favorite dance of the night. Tanisha just embodies every dance to the fullest. I'll take her over any of the the other "Vibe Tribe" girls any day of the week.

 

Kathryn was gorgeous as always and reminded me of an old Lana Turner movie. She and Casey were great together, but I still get nothing when watching him. Superb technician that he is. 

 

Nigel is becoming offensive with calling Ricky a Hobbit. We get it. How would he feel if someone continuously called out those "Old Yeller" teeth of his? That being said; I didn't really care for he and Lauren's dance. It just didn't seem to go anywhere for me.

 

Jacque and Chehon again did nothing for me.Loved seeing Chehon back though. It just seemed like a whole lot of start, stop. pose. I equally felt nothing like I suspect I was suppose to for the Zack/Amy dance. It was nothing new for me. I felt like it was another manipulative piece these choreographers try to evoke an emotion out of you with these stories. It was danced great, but Amy always turns me off with her over wrought emotion. 

 

Again, whomever is voting for Rudy. Please top that. 

 

 

[Steph01924]

I really enjoyed tonight. Sad to see Emilio go, but when I realized he was up against Zach...sorry, see ya next year for an all-star spot, perhaps. Once I knew it was Bridget and Jacque, I also assumed Bridget was done. 

 

I loved the opening routine so much!! It's the first one I sat up and really watched with interest. The loud costumes were just a whatever to me, didn't help or harm. I liked seeing everyone's faces and knowing who was who, finally, and the moves felt fresh. Yay!

 

My Faves (and who I voted for): 

 

Tanisha -- She was fabulous. I loved the opening, I loved the fast footwork, the lifts were great. Ryan was never one of my favorites, just a non-entity, but he was great with her, and they were just sizzling to me.

 

Jacque -- I really enjoyed the ballet/contemporary, and there's just something about her I really enjoy watching. I kind of want to go back and rewatch this JUST to watch the shadows, because my eye did keep going to them and how graceful they seemed. 

 

Zach -- Normally I'm not into Sonja pieces, especially not overwrought emotional pieces on the show, but I did think this was touching without going overboard. I also skipped most of the judge responses, so I think that always helps. It was nice to see Amy again -- she was such a strong, steady partner for Zach and I really liked them together.

 

Casey -- Zach is definitely my favorite guy, but I thoroughly enjoyed Casey tonight...maybe it was the Kathryn effect, or the great routine, but he did a great job, to me. I agree with whomever above said that he had to play it cool so he didn't have to try too hard to show emotion on his face, so maybe that made this great for him this one time. 

 

The Rest:

 

Ricky -- It was a fun routine, and by no means did I dislike him, but I just know he'll get a crap ton of votes, so I'm not going to even bother. My eye was drawn more to Lauren in this piece though.

 

Jessica -- I liked it, I liked her; I feel like she has a draw to the camera that sucks me into watching her. I just know she'll get a lot of votes too, and I personally am more drawn to the other girls.

 

Rudy -- He's the only one I really don't care for, but it's all personality with him. His dancing is fine...it's not amazing to me and it's not horrible, like others I've hated in the past and wondered why they were still on the show. I didn't feel the chemistry between him and Jenna in the slightest. Both of them were staring in the camera more than each other. Blah.

 

Valerie -- Out of the girls left, she's the weakest. I was waiting for her to get 'angry', thinking that it was coming maybe a third into the performance...then I realized that was it. She had no sizzle and it was so, so obvious.

 

Eliminated:

 

Emilio -- So sad to see him go. This routine was fantastic! I loved every second. I'm not a huge Jasmine-stan, but she did well.

 

Bridget -- Bollywood Disco? Okay, then.

 

 

I feel like everyone did put their big boy/girl pants on and hunkered down this week, choreographers included. 

[allypenguin]

Nooooo not Emilio :( Whyyy when Rudy is still on this show? And he freaking killed it tonight with Jasmine too. Also, Jasmine <3 I love watching her dance and I'm still bitter that she didn't win.

 

The Jacque/Chehon routine was really lovely. When Travis deviates from his usual formula, I actually like his choreography. But I hated that the lighting obscured the beautiful footwork and Jaque's feet! But yay Chehon! 

 

I'm quickly losing interest in the season. The only people I care about that are left are Tanisha, Ricky and Zack, whom I hope wins it all. He's killing it in every style he's getting, and is incredibly versatile. Same with Tanisha. I do like the joy that Valerie has but her contemporary this week was really quite bad. I wanted to like her so much but her feet were not pointed, and her lines were just not extended.

 

I don't get the hype about Jessica. I feel like the judges cast her because they thought she would be LoFro 2.0 or something? But to me, Jessica is always very flat.

[Steph01924]

Now, I'm sorry that I gave in and finally dissed Cat last week, because she seemed all lovely and back to normal tonight to me.  Also, great hair colour.

 

I hate Tara Lipinski. She is freaking irritating.

 

Ha, I paid extra attention to Cat tonight because I read I guess your comment last week, and I've been skipping a lot of the between pieces and judge yapping. I thought she was delightful and I was thinking, what was that poster smoking, so nice to see you saw the shine tonight, too. :) Her hair did look fantastic! I'm always so jealous of it. I wish I had someone to stand there and give me those perfect tousled curls, because I cannot for the life of me get anywhere close on my own.

 

I know lots of people hated Tara during audition week, but I found her to be fine. Is it because of her outside the show personality bleeding over? She felt a bit affected, but I thought her comments were fairly spot on (when I listened to them, anyway. I skipped the Ricky/Jessica fawning I assumed was happening). I'm glad she and then everyone else pointed out Valerie's weak-sauce intensity. There have definitely been guest judges I hated more.

[DHDancer]

Tara Lipinski?  Are you kidding me???????   I can't imagine someone with less creds for anything.

 

Jacque/Cheon:  The lighting was on purpose to hide her bad technique: notice her feet were completely invisible except in lifts. Cheon is so gorgeous and thrilling to watch but Travis, stick to what you know --- that was so pathetically basic....

 

Whoever designed and dressed Jasmine should have been shot - I was completely distracted by her costume not being skin tight.  So not snake like.  Emilio was good finally.

 

I was rewatching Alex Wong on YouTube and it really revealed just how pathetic the quality of the dancers is this year, and I hate to say it, the choreography.   Sigh. 

Edited August 7, 2014 by DHDancer

[ramble]

I want to watch Kathryn and Chehon's routine during Christina Perri over and over and over again.

I watched them dance without music because I muted that wretched racket that was called music.

I think Jasmine's pants kept me from appreciating the dance as much as I should've. They were unattractive & I felt like they were a hip shake away from showing something.

Twitch danced with TCO & they aged him & added padding. Still I only noticed him & blonde generic girl was just there for support.

I've tried to like Valerie. She seems so sweet, but I find her dancing unattractive. And speaking of unattractive... there is no nice way to say this so here goes. As long as I don't look at Tanisha's head I enjoy her dancing. If I look at her face I get distracted & lose it.

Bollywood Disco. Seriously? Is that a thing or a made-up to claim it thing? The lighting on this show is often atrocious, but this number was especially bad. If I was prone to seizures then trying to look at the couple dancing while the lights did their thing might have set me off.

[Rick Kitchen]

So now they're making up genres.  Bollywood Disco, Bollywood hiphop, huh?  And Brandon slipped at the end and nobody talked about it.

Hm.  I love the Argentine Tango, but there really wasn't a lot of footwork there, and Ryan did most of it.

Once again, Ade gets to play forklift.

I never realized how tiny Louis Van Amstel is.  Was Jenna supposed to fall at the end of that cha cha?  Rudy was actually really good, I liked his footwork.

Why would Mandy Moore choreograph such a slow dance to THAT music?  The movements did not go with the beat at all.  And um, what made that jazz?

Casey and Kathryn was great, my favorite routine of the night.

But Zach was superb. I'll be voting for him.

Christina Perri was horrible, and I generally like her music.

I wonder if the Tanisha/Nick dance will be choreographed by Travis.  Travis and Nick are roommates.

[phoenix780]

Random thoughts...

 

There's no need for Tara Lipinski without Johnny Weir.  She was following the same script as Christina Applegate last week, from my perspective.  Added no real value.

 

Ricky does have a weakness, and this was it, imho. There were some odd pauses in that routine, I thought, and Lauren is frickin’ gorgeous all grown up.  About him working forever- I like him, but he’s short!  I think that’s going to matter. 

 

Jessica…what about that was hip-hop?

 

Valerie got screwed.  The only real criticism of the night went her way, which makes it stand out that much more, and she got Tyce (side note- how awesome was it that Nigel cheered the choreography and the audience was silent?).  She wasn’t good, but that choreography was crap, imho.  Can you really convey anger while being carried around a stage, in a way that doesn't look like a tantrum, anyway?  I love her though so I’m biased.

 

Travis’s routine- I don’t know if it was the routine, the dancing, or just that the staging and direction were refreshingly simple- specially after the Bollydisco nearly gave me a seizure, and the swooshing around all the time- but I loved it.

 

Tanisha was fantastic.  I love that dance in general, but she was awesome.

 

I liked Sonya’s piece but I’m over walking away slowly at the end of a number.  I feel like I should have felt more.

 

I didn't like carrying the bottom 2 announcements through the whole show.  You could pretty much guess based on performance order.

 

And I’m going to need to ask the judges to never say “Who are you?” or “You’re unreal” and all those nothing phrases anymore.  A little constructive criticism every now and again would be nice, but barring that- just stop with the most meaningless phrases.

 

Overall though, it wasn't a bad show for this season.  I did keep having waves of feelings like…certain routines felt unfair given others.  Tanisha got a gift, for example, as did Jessica in a way.  And Bridget got Bollydisco.  That doesn't feel quite right to me.  Although it did make me think she was going home. 

 

Also, I would kill for some same sex pairings.

 

ETA- I just realized they revealed next week's pairs.  Jessica again got someone who should help her out.  Couldn't Valerie have gotten the tapper from last season or Jess or something?  And Rudy is going to have to become an adult over the weekend.

Edited August 7, 2014 by phoenix780

[chocolatine]

But then Ade was there and that always makes me go a little soft in the head.

 

 

He's gorgeous, isn't he?

 

I love the Argentine Tango, but there really wasn't a lot of footwork there, and Ryan did most of it

 

.

I thought there was a fair bit of lady's footwork, Tanisha was just airborne for most of it. I thought that was very sophisticated choreography - Leonardo and Miriam didn't disappoint. 

 

I really *liked* the Bollywood Disco; I would have *loved* it if Bridget had been able to match Brandon's energy. I think with someone like Courtney Galiano that routine would have been dynamite.  

 

Why did everyone keep saying that the contemporary ballet was the first ever on the show? Didn't Desmond Richardson - you know, a legit ballet choreographer - choreograph a stunning pas de deux for Katee and Will? And didn't Ade and Melissa do something with her en pointe as well? Or was that classical? Travis's routine didn't do much for me, and as much as I love Chehon, not even he could make me like it.

 

I surprised myself by liking both Casey's and Jessica's dances tonight. I feel they both connected with their all-stars better than they had with their previous partners.

 

What happened to sweet little LoFro? She looks so trashy now with the tats, bleached hair with dark roots, and excessive tan. She was such an ingenue on her season.

 

I don't care for Tara Lipinski as a judge. Now that the judges are not deciding who goes home, I wish the show would bring in comedians like Ellen, NPH, or Jesse Tyler Ferguson, or mega-stars like Lady Gaga. I mean it's not like Tara Lipinski knows that much about dance, so they might as well have brought in a more engaging personality.

 

One of the producers must have gotten into my brain and figured out that the only way I won't fast-forward through a musical guest is to have some dancing. I still dislike Christina Perri though.

 

Good for Sonya for getting the Martha Graham gig. Nigel needs to stop demanding Emmys though; he makes it sound like it's his birthright to get awards for his show.

 

Does anyone else think that announcing the all-star pairings ahead of the following week is a ploy to increase ratings? It's almost like they're saying "we know you don't care about this year's top 10, but you might want to tune in for Twitch/Allison/Brandon/etc."

Edited August 7, 2014 by chocolatine

[Kara]

So glad to have the all stars.  Even the not so good dances this week were better than 90% of what we have seen so far this season. 

 

I love Jasmine.  She is just so freaking gorgeous.  I love to watch her dance.  And emilio held his own.  This is the first dance this season that I gave a little "whee" when it was done, and was actually clapping at the end.  So much fun to watch.  I do agree with the baggy pants problem.  They have done that a few times this season.  Specifically, the skeleton hip-hop with the saggy bones.  Maybe it is because the whole drop crotch, bagginess is hip right now, but it does not compliment dancers' movements, so stop. 

 

I love Valerie.  She just makes me smile.  I kind of feel about her the same way I felt about Aaron last season.  Not the greatest dancers.  There is something heavy and labored in their dancing, but something in their personality shines through and makes me want to keep watching.  Although I would not be surprised if she goes home next week, and would understand why.

 

Whoever compared Casey to the guy from the New Normal, thank you!  I have been trying to figure out who he reminds me of, and that is exactly it.  I do love Casey.  He seems shy and sweet, and he's got beautiful movement.  I hope he sticks around.

 

Ricky just doesn't do anything for me.  I almost called him Billy, because he brings to mind the Billy from a few seasons ago who was technically wonderful, but left me cold.  I don't know why.  I just always feel meh about him.

 

Tanisha was hot again tonight.  Love her.

 

Twitch will always be my favorite of all time.  I love everything he does.  He just brings humor and personality to everything.  I think he was dancing with someone tonight. 

 

I was not blown away by the "Contemporary Ballet"  or Zach's routine (even though I love him)  They were both good, I just didn't get all of the fawning.  I was just kind of bored by both of them.

 

I loved the opening number.  I even dug the colorful costumes.  But I love color, it makes me happy.

[Kara]

 

Also, I would kill for some same sex pairings.

Yes!  I think one of the best things this show unintentionally did was the first all star season, where the bottom three were the lowest vote getters, regardless of whether they were male or female.  I think the produces assumed the bottom three would be fairly evenly mixed each week, so they could keep the balance, but they guys were so much better that season, the women kept crowding the bottom three, so they ended up with way more guys, and the only way they could use the guy all stars was to do same sex pairings.  This forced the choreographers to think outside of the box and they came up with some excellent routines.  I proved that they didn't need to rely on male/female sexual tension constantly.

[allypenguin]

Why did everyone keep saying that the contemporary ballet was the first ever on the show? Didn't Desmond Richardson - you know, a legit ballet choreographer - choreograph a stunning pas de deux for Katee and Will? And didn't Ade and Melissa do something with her en pointe as well? Or was that classical? Travis's routine didn't do much for me, and as much as I love Chehon, not even he could make me like it.

 

Oh wow, you're completely right! I can't believe I forgot about that Katee and Will pas de deux because it was incredible. So you're totally right, it's definitely not a first for the show. I remember Melissa and Ade did at least a classical piece en pointe (I vaguely remember the fancy costumes and Ade forklifting) but I'm blanking on a contemporary ballet.

[Blue Plastic]

Why does that annoying Jacque keep getting through?  She was crap in a crap dance last week and she still managed to squeak by.  And her dance this week was basically her wearing pointe shoes and getting dragged around/propped up by her partner.  My memory could be off but it really didn't seem like she did anything where she wasn't being held up by Chehon.  It sort of reminded me of Derek Hough's choreography for Amy Purdy on DWTS last season.  Rarely did he let her just stand up on her own.

 

I keep waiting for Rudy to get voted off.  His hair is awful, he's not that great or standout as a dancer, and his mugging is beyond annoying.

 

I didn't care for Ricky's routine.  Not his fault, but I kept waiting for something to happen yet it never really did.  That guest singer was atrocious.  Hated the costume they put Jasmine in.  Are they trying to manufacture a wardrobe malfunction?!

 

I liked Tanisha's dance and I'm a sucker so I fell for Zack's dance too even though it was emotionally manipulative.  That might have something to do with the fact that I like Zack and liked Amy in her season.

Edited August 7, 2014 by Blue Plastic

[Haleth]

Two observations.  Mary needs a bra if she wears that dress again.  And Rudy has eyelashes that are like an inch long.

 

Did Twitch and Jasmine ever dance together?  Probably not or the theater would have burned down from all the hotness.  Unfortunately for their partners last night I could not not watch them.

 

Loved the opening number, the Argentine tango (Ryan is still dreamy), and Jasmine's hip hop.  For the first time I think Ricky was forgettable.  Not that he'll be in any trouble, but it wasn't his best performance.  And he needs to stop pulling on his face.

 

Does anyone else think that announcing the all-star pairings ahead of the following week is a ploy to increase ratings? It's almost like they're saying "we know you don't care about this year's top 10, but you might want to tune in for Twitch/Allison/Brandon/etc."

 

Ha!  Yes!  But there were a lot of names mentioned for next week's show that I don't know.

[jennylauren123]

Will I be beaten if I say that Christina Perri can't sing? My goodness!

 

I had to fast forward through that segment. She was so off-key (flat) that I couldn't enjoy the dancing. Was it just an off night? Anyone? Anyone?

 

Ricky is amazing technically, but as others have said, he doesn't make me emotional. Perhaps it's because he's young?

 

The men on last night's show (guest dancers Chehon, tWitch, and the one Tanisha was paired with) were gorgeous specimens. Wowsa. Perfection. And Ade! Speechless.

Edited August 7, 2014 by jennylauren123

[PattyorSelma]

Cat was on Craig Ferguson's show last week and said she had a tooth extracted the Monday before last week's show.  She thought she'd be fine "doing it the Judy Garland way" on Percocet.  I believe she said she washed it down with Red Bull.  She was definitely not herself last week.  :)

[Heather Lynn]

I think Jasmine's pants kept me from appreciating the dance as much as I should've. They were unattractive & I felt like they were a hip shake away from showing something.

Bollywood Disco. Seriously? Is that a thing or a made-up to claim it thing

I can't believe I forgot Emilio and Jasmine's number which was also great but I did spend more time than I should have trying to figure out what was up with her pants. I was sad to see Emelio & Zack in the bottom. Bollywood Disco was actually the name of the song which made me laugh.

So now they're making up genres. Bollywood Disco, Bollywood hiphop, huh? And Brandon slipped at the end and nobody talked about it.

I was glad they didn't mention it. Over the past several seasons, the judges would gush over the all- stars while ignoring the sometimes "hanging on by my fingernails" contestant. I felt that this often allowed some of their favorites to last longer than they should have because people would remember the all-star compliments and forget the actual contestant and how they did. Brandon wasn't the contestant so, unless it impacted the actual person competing (which I didn't think it did here), I think the judges should ignore all-star slips. Edited August 7, 2014 by Heather Lynn

[dusang]

Did Twitch and Jasmine ever dance together?  Probably not or the theater would have burned down from all the hotness.  Unfortunately for their partners last night I could not not watch them.

 

Yes -- they did the superhero dance, which I believe was in the "All-Stars Choreo & Dance" week.

 

Edited August 7, 2014 by dusang

[Spicy Bubbles]

I didn't realize they were going to be announcing the All-Star pairings for every week at the end of the show. I turned it off during the "This Is Your Journey" montage for Emilio and Bridget. Could someone post the pairings for next week, please and thank you?

 

My two biggest disappointments of the night were Rudy being safe with Emilio leaving, and the Ricky/Lauren number. I don't know if it was the dancing or the choreography (I usually like Mandy Moore) but that number felt like a dud. Nothing impressed me, nothing moved me, it was just... blah.

[Primetimer]

The top ten dancers are paired with 'all-stars,' which is a reality-show term that means 'was on the show before,' before two more are culled.

Read the story

[WhineandCheez]

    You better realize that if Valerie or Rudy do not  end up in B3 next week, then one of them is going to win.  Like Sabra-not America's Best Dancer, but America's Most Popular Dancer. Look how sub-par they both have been and nary a trip to the bottom.  I truly do think one of them could win.  YIKES!

Edited August 7, 2014 by WhineandCheez

[tvloserlife]

So I think last night's show was one of the best of the (lackluster) season.

 

Bollywood Disco - is this a real thing?  I know people already talked about how they've been choreographing both Bollywood and disco to be extra frenetic, and instead of taking that feedback and slowing them down, someone thought, let's mash them together and make it even more chaotic!  That said, I didn't notice Bridget at all - couldn't take my eyes of Brandon and I'm always happy to see him back.  If only they would let him be an all-star for something other than disco.

 

Contemporary Ballet - is THIS a real thing?  I thought ballet was the base for contemporary (I've never danced either so what do I know).  Is it only new because they slapped on a new name?  How is it different from contemporary, ballet, or pas de deux (or pas de trois with Eliana, Chehon, and Daniel)?  Never mind - same situation as the last hybrid, I couldn't take my eyes off Chehon, who danced beautifully as always.  And another reason I really loved the dance (yes, despite my gripe at the naming, I loved the dance) was because I could actually SEE it without the camera spinning around and making me dizzy.  It was beautiful watching it all from the front with the shadows in the back.  Can the rest of the dances be filmed this way?

 

Hip hop - going to comment on both quickly.  I actually loved Jasmine and Emilio but there was something bothering me about it that I couldn't quite put my finger on, and I was thinking maybe it's the wardrobe?  Glad to see I wasn't just going crazy.  Second hip hop - I'm surprised at the reaction because I thought Jessica actually did a really great job!  I mean, I was bracing myself for a trainwreck since I saw her atrocity in Not!Vegas, so maybe that coloured my judgement a little.

 

Argentine Tango - Favourite of the night, hands down.  It started with just Tanisha, and then Ryan slipped right in there, and I don't know how they did it but it felt like they just kept building more and more energy as the dance continued. 

 

The rest were fine but not memorable, which is sad because Ricky and Zack are my two favourites in the competition.  I thought Zack's dance was lovely but there has just been so much contemporary that I pretty much forgot it as soon as it finished (I also love Amy so that wasn't the issue).  Something about the cha cha felt like it was too slow - I think the beat was quick but the singing was slow and it just made the dance seem slower too.  Love LoFro but also forgot the dance as soon as it finished.

 

This is a horrible world when Rudy doesn't even hit bottom and the bottom two are Zack and Emilio.  Zack is the only non-contemporary male dancer left.  And the double standard is frustrating because I thought Valerie did as commendable a job in her jazz piece as any contemporary/jazz dancer does in ballroom/hip hop but she gets critiqued in comparison to contemporary/jazz dancers, whereas Rudy, who IS a contemporary dancer, gets to fly by on "personality".

Edited August 7, 2014 by tvloserlife

[dusang]

The top ten dancers are paired with 'all-stars,' which is a reality-show term that means 'was on the show before,' before two more are culled.

http://previously.tv/so-you-think-you-can-dance/hashtag-notallten/"> Read the story

 

The video links are messed up -- there are three of Ade & Valerie and two for the brightly coloured group dance.

 

Also, did they forget the lighting cues for the ballet piece?  They were literally dancing in the dark.

[JenMD]

 

Also, did they forget the lighting cues for the ballet piece?  They were literally dancing in the dark.

I think they were trying to be all arty by creating the shadows on the sides of the stage (and the camera was pulled back so that we could see the shadows, so it wasn't coincidental), but I just found it distracting that it was so dark.