S17.E05: The Dancers Dozen

[jewel21]

The top 12 dancers perform.

Airdate: 06/15/2022

[desertflower]

Just give the trophy to Keaton already. Love him. He and Alexis had the best routine of the night.

It seemed kind of rushed but maybe it’s because they only had an hour. But no behind the scenes of them learning the routine, and no talking to the choreographer! That felt weird. It just seems like they’ve changed the formula of the show so much.  

[DEL901]

The studio audience does the voting?   Uh, okay.  And I guess in future weeks when they don’t have to spend time announcing the pairs, there might be a dance for your life solo?   

Is it going to be 2 going home a5 a t8me so they can stay in pairs?  If so, this will be a very short season.

He isn’t going to win, and he certainly isn’t the best dancer, but I think Beau has a better chance at a dance career on Broadway, or with touring  shows, than many of them, because he can do the performance/ acting part of the dance which sets him apart from most.

[slaterain]

Not sure I’m liking this new format. I hope that the next episode will include the time with the choreographers and it wasn’t included this time due to announcing the top 12. I love seeing the work that goes into it and hearing from the choreographers. Some of these choreographers were a little weak and wasn’t sure if it was the choreo or the dancing.
I liked the way they did it before where announcing the cast was then a focus on their own style. Helps you get to know them more. Glad they didn’t send anyone home - although was in agreement on who should be in the bottom. 
regarding the audience voting - that is fine by me as it doesn’t make them wait to come back the next week only to be eliminated first. 
strange to have the group number last. 
will have to see how next week is set up as this seemed so rushed and the season will be short with only 5-6 episodes left to get down to final 4/2. Hope they find a better balance as it feels like a shell of the show and what made it great before. Wondering if they struggled to get choreographers to commit time again

[crowceilidh]

I've only watched one dance, but I appreciated how long it was.  Also Luther Brown YAY. Didn't think they were all that.

[jewel21]

Some dances I wasn't feeling at all, sadly. The final couple were just amazing, however. They were so in sync and gave me chills. During the auditions I didn't think Keaton would be a good dancer as he didn't have that typical dancers body. However, seeing him tonight made me rethink everything. I re-watched the performance like 5 times, heh. The umbrella dance was another fun one. And lastly I also enjoyed the jive couple. Also, I'm not sure I like the studio audience being the ones to decide who stays or goes. I miss having them make the fans call in and vote for their favorites. 

[crowceilidh]

Wow that's a short show.  They kept all the dancers because it's the third show or because they need to use up time between commercials next week?  

I don't agree with ditching dancers on the first show anyhow - that's why the getting to know you rounds when they danced in their own styles were so good.

So they're keeping these couples together for a while eh?  I like that they get a chance to build a bit of a working relationship.

Leah didn't really add anything, but she wasn't awful.  I wish she would stay on the side of toned down and lady judge-like most of the time.

I agreed with the bottom 4.  Amazeballs.

Keaton reminds me of Kameron Bink somehow.

As soon as you knew which person was staying out of the first two presented, then you could pretty much figure out who their partner would be in the next couple just by lining them up physically.

How is the show going to keep enough sponsors without using calling numbers?  

[Frisky Wig]

Thiago and Essence’s dance was underwhelming. He was amazing in it but I thought it didn’t give her enough to do. At one point, the music is building, you know some big choreo is gonna happen. Thiago does a big leap (grand jete, maybe) and Essence… throws the skirt of her dress in the air? What? 

Edited June 16, 2022 by Frisky Wig
Fixing an autocorrect

[displayname]

Didn't they announce any choreographers? Ah, they're shown after every dance.

Lord Finn/Virginia (Luther Brown): Well HE was very good. Not at all sure what they saw in her currently.

Jordan/Waverly (Mandy Korpinen and Elizabeth Petrin): Over-reaching.

Anna/Beau (Al Blackstone):... really?

Thiago/Essence (Tessandra Chavez): Fantastic pairing... forgettable choregraphy.

Carter/Ralyn (Alan Bersten): This is Jive, I guess. Very PG-13.

Alexis/Keaton (Talia Favia): Good God he's a fantastic performer. She was very good here as well, but seems a bit contrived in comparison.

I remembered Lord Finn, Thiago, Essence, and Keaton being very good at the auditions, as well.

[Lily H]

That seemed very rushed, and I was glad they didn't eliminate anyone tonight. We've barely got to know anyone as it is. 

I like Anna. She reminds me somehow of a young Mira Sorvino. I think Essence is the weakest of the girls and pairing her with Thiago just highlights that. I thought for sure they were going to pick the other girl (Flora, I think?). Not at all sure about Virginia and Beau. I thought the jive was underwhelming and the umbrella dance was impressive. Keaton was way better than I expected.

I definitely don't like having the studio audience making any meaningful decisions because they're such a small sampling and not really representative, but I have to say their bottom 4 wasn't far off the mark.

[Fleegull]

Do not understand the reason behind putting Essence in that giant, poufy prom dress for a contemporary piece, good to know the costume department is still on their bullshit. Bummed that no tappers made it but then again the choreographers on this show do not know how to work with them anyway. The budget must have been slashed to hell if they aren't doing live voting anymore. I wouldn't have blamed Nigel if he had walked even though we know he was kicked off. They've gutted any pretense of caring about dance by hiring someone who only has DWTS as her dance background which is patently unfair to the dancers competing. Not going to bother with the season, fortunately venues here are back open and there's enough real dance being performed that I can see live.

[displayname]

33 minutes ago, Fleegull said:

They've gutted any pretense of caring about dance by hiring someone who only has DWTS as her dance background which is patently unfair to the dancers competing.

She might have been the only one available on short notice, though. I'm more annoyed with Jojo Siwa's presence for now.

[peachmangosteen]

Oh man, I enjoyed the hell out of every one of those dances. I only watch this show for the dancing. I don't care about the judges or the voting or anything else. I'm just supremely happy that it came back.

The Keaton/Alexis dance was honestly one of my all-time faves.

[appositival]

SYTYCD, now jerking people's feelings around more gently than ever before! Why do they feel the need to tease the dancers about going home? "I'm sorry, we had to go to your house and shoot your dog. However, you made it to the next round!"

I liked the format. They got the choosing done fairly quickly and got the initial pair dance in. I didn't like the vote at the end. Getting judged twice in one night is double jeopardy. Also, I didn't think the choreography for each dance had the same difficulty or impact, so the playing field was never even.

I guess Leah will be the every dance must tell a story judge.

Edited June 16, 2022 by appositival
forgot Leah

[Lovecat]

Apparently Matthew Morrison is now like Voldemort:  He Who Shall Not Be Named.  It's like he's been "disappeared" by the mob or something!

[rlc]

10 hours ago, Frisky Wig said:

Thiago and Essence’s dance was underwhelming. He was amazing in it but I thought it didn’t give her enough to do. At one point, the music is building, you know some big choreo is gonna happen. Thiago does a big leap (grand jete, maybe) and Essence… throws the skirt of her dress in the air? What? 

It was like when Baby skips the lift in Dirty Dancing.

[AZChristian]

7 hours ago, displayname said:

She might have been the only one available on short notice, though. I'm more annoyed with Jojo Siwa's presence for now.

I'd heard of Jojo, but had no idea what her expertise area is.  I thought last week that she was a bit over-the-top, and last night confirmed my opinion.  When Cat was over on the side speaking, the three judges were in the background.  tWitch was sitting still, Leah was looking through some papers, and Jojo was looking straight into the camera and dancing with her arms.  Basically, she was saying, "Don't look at Cat, look at meeeee."

I'm beginning to wonder if the audience is even voting, or are they punching numbers on little handheld devices that have no batteries in them?  The producers have a vested interest in having good dancers move forward, not just for their popularity, but because of their skills.  

Haven't watched the show in several years, but watched last night to see how they handled the firing of "whatshisname" who wasn't even mentioned.  I did agree with the four who were brought forward as being in danger.

[hiisa]

The Keaton/Alexis dance was simply stunning. But there's something about her I just don't like. I'd say arrogance maybe but I think when you're *that. good* a level of arrogance is to be expected? I dunno. I loved that dance. 

I'm glad Essence was saved. She remains my favorite. 

Leah Remini is me trying to explain what I liked about a dance. "And then you did the thing! The thing with the spinning and the (clicks tongue and imitates spinning) Go to someone else. I give up. SO GOOD." Except that I'm not on a dancing competition judging people. I feel like in the first one or two dances she heard tWitch or JoJo saying something about "connecting" and she latched onto it as something she can look for without knowing diddly squat about dance. 

[Jobiska]

2 hours ago, Lovecat said:

Apparently Matthew Morrison is now like Voldemort:  He Who Shall Not Be Named.  It's like he's been "disappeared" by the mob or something!

Except they showed him telling one of the finalists that they were the one in, which was blink-and-you-missed it, so I guess they didn't want to trouble to reshoot.

I love Essence as a personality and hope she improves.  I don't think Virginia is going to make it long, but when they did their ridiculous "nobody's going home!  it's the 300th episode!" thing, her long if-looks-could-kill stare before she finally joined in the hugging and celebrating was Everything.  

So if this particular show happened to fall on the 312th ep, they would have cut them?  

[Tigregirl]

I don’t know all the names yet (or am too lazy right now to go back and look) but I was underwhelmed by much of last night’s show.  1st dance - woman seemed too soft and mismatched with her partner.  Of course we’ll see how he does when/if they get to a contemporary piece.  Umbrella dance was good but I wanted more from it.  Beau and partner - I loved.  They sold that dance, had great personality and looked like they were having a ball.  Jive seemed lacking in energy and connection.  Essence - who decided that floral wreath was a good look?  I agree that her partner was given much more to do, where she felt muted.  Loved Keaton and partner and really couldn’t take my eyes off of him.  They are going to be a fun pair to watch.

I will continue to watch the show but miss Nigel, and wish they had replaced MM with a dancer or choreographer.  I think JoJo grew up a lot in the course of her DWTS season but it still feels like she needs a few years and some additional maturity before judging on this show.  I think she’s a naturally loud person (and from her back stories on DWTS, it seems her entire family is loud), which I get but for me it gets old quickly.  She does know dance but she’s still only 19.  
 

I don’t feel like we really know much about most of these dancers yet.  As posted by somebody upthread, I hope we get to see the behind the scenes of them working with the choreographers.  I want to learn more about them as people, and the one day rushed choreography show in the auditions didn’t give us much.

[luvthepros]

15 hours ago, DEL901 said:

The studio audience does the voting?   Uh, okay.  And I guess in future weeks when they don’t have to spend time announcing the pairs, there might be a dance for your life solo?   

Is it going to be 2 going home a5 a t8me so they can stay in pairs?  If so, this will be a very short season.

He isn’t going to win, and he certainly isn’t the best dancer, but I think Beau has a better chance at a dance career on Broadway, or with touring  shows, than many of them, because he can do the performance/ acting part of the dance which sets him apart from most.

I truly believe Beau is not in the league with any one of these dancers. But.....I do agree with you about his chances of getting working on Broadway. There are plenty of character actors on Broadway with Beau's body type. They can act, they can sing and my eye teeth fall out when I see how well they can move on stage in a dance number. Beau is one of those who would surprise the hell out of me that he can dance as well as he can. Is he on the same level as a Thiago? Uh, certainly not.

Speaking of Thiago......WTF was he doing in the botton 4? We have to depend on the studio audience for these dancers to move on in the competition? I don't trust the audience if they are going to put the best technical and the best at emoting in the bottom. Just no.

Edited June 16, 2022 by luvthepros

[luvthepros]

13 hours ago, Frisky Wig said:

Thiago and Essence’s dance was underwhelming. He was amazing in it but I thought it didn’t give her enough to do. At one point, the music is building, you know some big choreo is gonna happen. Thiago does a big leap (grand jete, maybe) and Essence… throws the skirt of her dress in the air? What? 

I wish Thiago was teamed with the little blonde who is teamed with Beau. Thiago is the best technician (IMHO) and he is going to struggle (as he did in this first dance) to do lifts with Essence. For crying out loud, she weighs as much as he does.

From the way they structured the eliminations (which actually did not happen), it looks as though partners will be split up depending on who is eliminated. I surely hope the eliminations will not be done in teams like it was in the very early seasons of this show.

[Pj3422]

I tried, so help me, I tried. I just don’t get it. So, it’s not America’s Favorite Dancer, it’s the studio audience’s favorite?

Love Cat, love tWitch, Jojo is a LOT to take, and I don’t understand Leah’s presence at all. Please tell me she’s just filling in until they can get someone with knowledge of dance technique. As it stands now, the judging isn’t that much better than on “Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team.” 

[luvthepros]

13 hours ago, displayname said:

Didn't they announce any choreographers? Ah, they're shown after every dance.

hat W

Thiago/Essence (Tessandra Chavez): Fantastic pairing... forgettable choregraphy.

Carter/Ralyn (Alan Bersten): This is Jive, I guess. Very PG-13.

Alexis/Keaton (Talia Favia): Good God he's a fantastic performer. She was very good here as well, but seems a bit contrived in comparison.

I remembered Lord Finn, Thiago, Essence, and Keaton being very good at the auditions, as well.

What I noticed about Lord Finn is he is so light on his feet. That is in direct contrast to the heaviness that his partner danced.

[luvthepros]

Everyone who commented so far on this thread about the bottom four agree with the judges. I don't understand why Thiago was in the bottom and it seems that that is an unpopular opinion. What am I missing?

[realdancemom]

Lord Finn and Virginia - Based on TV coverage, I guessed that he would make it among the hip hop guys.  However, I did guess Juicy over Virginia based on the same criteria so I was wrong.  The show does a huge disservice when they do this although there have been girls that overcame lack of coverage notably Jeannine from Season 5. As for their dance, Lord Finn was a lot sharper and stronger but it is his style.  Virginia did a serviceable job and dances hip hop like a lot of girls that just learn it from a studio instead of on the street.  I'm sure their contemporary dances will be unique because they have to cater to him too.  That's how we got the Hummingbird with Hok and Jaime's pairing.

Waverly and his partner - I guessed that he would make it over Konner last week.  It was even more obvious once she was chosen because of her height. Lovely dance and it's difficult to dance with a prop especially if you have to catch it. 

Beau and Anna - I wouldn't have guessed that he would make it.  I'm glad that Anna did since I liked her audition.  Both of them were funny in their auditions.  The difference is that Anna also showed great technique in hers.  They were great with the characters in this dance.  But I think the choreographers will give Anna most of the difficult technique moves.

Thiago and Essence - On paper, I thought this would be the IT couple.  But they were underwhelming and so was the choreography.  The dance did not show her personality at all which is what is great about her.  Other reasons why I thought they would be fan favorites is because I thought everyone would get to vote,.  Tweens that take dance love guys like Thiago that have great technique and I thought they would like Essence's personality.  I think it would also help if they did show the couples working with the choreographers to see their chemistry, personalities, etc.  I think they will do better next week with hip hop.

Carter and Ralyn - It was a good jive but it doesn't surprise me that he was in the bottom. 

Keaton and Alexis - This was the couple of the week and a lot has to do with choreography.  That was a very physical routine so they had to have the stamina and technique to pull it off.  I guessed that Alexis would make it over Camila.  Like a lot of other Utah ballroom girls, she is definitely cross trained.  Keaton surprised me in this number.  His audition was good for his size and then during the one day choreo round, he did do moves well that surprised me but again I was thinking for his size.  This time, I'll just say that he's good period regardless of his size.

Great group hip hop number.  I'm guessing in future shows, it will be first but they couldn't do that without revealing who was in the top 12.  Agree with the bottom four.

Edit to add - On paper, Tessandra Chavez is also a good choreographer for Thiago and Essence since she has choreographed contemporary and lyrical hip hop routines.  She's an Emmy winner too.  Just a disappointing number which had so much potential with the three of them.

Edited June 16, 2022 by realdancemom

[realdancemom]

13 minutes ago, luvthepros said:

Everyone who commented so far on this thread about the bottom four agree with the judges. I don't understand why Thiago was in the bottom and it seems that that is an unpopular opinion. What am I missing?

Technically, Thiago is very impressive.  I commented above and so did some others what was wrong with their dance.  Their personalities did not show.  I'm glad nobody went home but I think it would have been Carter among the guys anyway if somebody was going to be eliminated.

[Pallida]

If they're going for a short season, I'd rather see them have no eliminations. They can announce low dancers each week to motivate for the following week, but we'd get to actually see how these folks dance in various styles. I feel like I don't know the vast majority of the dancers, so it'd be nice to actually see them. And maybe that would give them more exposure to benefit their careers?

[Mason]

I realize that guys dancing in heels is both a thing and a badge of achievement (Brian Friedman, for starters.) But it still bugs me that Beau decided to introduce himself to us that way. What he did just now showcased both personality and technique, and I find myself wanting him to stick around and do well. While I'm a sucker for dancers with a well-defined sense of humour, I do not enjoy visual jokes based on physical characteristics. That outfit reminded me of Doug Heffernen (King of Queens) in his UPS uniform.    

[crowceilidh]

Or how about eliminations every other show with the bottom 4 shown each time and votes kept for both shows (I know there's a word for that, but my brain refuses to divulge it)?  It's a teensy little show now, they could do it and it would be way more fair.

[AZChristian]

55 minutes ago, crowceilidh said:

Or how about eliminations every other show with the bottom 4 shown each time and votes kept for both shows (I know there's a word for that, but my brain refuses to divulge it)?  It's a teensy little show now, they could do it and it would be way more fair.

Cumulative scores?

[nx74defiant]

Hated the fake out elimination. They should have used more time to show the dancers working with the choreographers.

[Haleth]

Beau?  Seriously?  I guess the producers are more interested in characters than the best dancers now. That routine was terrible.  They did more posing than dancing.

Anyone else think Keaton is there because he looks like Patrick Swayze?

I enjoyed the umbrella dance, the jive, and the last one. Thiago and Essence were disappointing.

Its a better show when you can FF through the judging. 

Edited June 17, 2022 by Haleth

[DEL901]

2 minutes ago, Haleth said:

Beau?  Seriously?  I guess the producers are more interested in characters than the best dancers now. That routine was terrible.

Its a better show when you can FF through the judging. 

Remember, this isn’t a contest to find America’s best dancer…it is to find America’s Favourite dancer.  

[luvthepros]

6 hours ago, realdancemom said:

Technically, Thiago is very impressive.  I commented above and so did some others what was wrong with their dance.  Their personalities did not show.  I'm glad nobody went home but I think it would have been Carter among the guys anyway if somebody was going to be eliminated.

This week, if it did come down to which dancers the judges would save, I can not imagine the judges not saving their best technician (Thiago).

5 hours ago, Pallida said:

If they're going for a short season, I'd rather see them have no eliminations. They can announce low dancers each week to motivate for the following week, but we'd get to actually see how these folks dance in various styles. I feel like I don't know the vast majority of the dancers, so it'd be nice to actually see them. And maybe that would give them more exposure to benefit their careers?

Let's not forget, Ariana DuBose was first eliminated in her season. Her career has skyrocketed. So happy for her.

[luvthepros]

49 minutes ago, Haleth said:

Beau?  Seriously?  I guess the producers are more interested in characters than the best dancers now. That routine was terrible.  They did more posing than dancing.

Anyone else think Keaton is there because he looks like Patrick Swayze?

I enjoyed the umbrella dance, the jive, and the last one. Thiago and Essence were disappointing.

Its a better show when you can FF through the judging. 

Yes, Keaton does remind me of Patrick Swayze.

[BlackberryJam]

So glad Keaton shaved. Yes, I’m shallow but that facial hair was awful.

I left this show for a long time because of Nigel and Mary.

I’m happy giving it another shot.

[Sd601]

3 hours ago, BlackberryJam said:

So glad Keaton shaved. Yes, I’m shallow but that facial hair was awful.

Ugh I’m so shallow too. He looks much better without chin pubes.

I didn’t watch the auditions or choreography rounds, even though those are usually my favorite (I love watching old Vegas rounds). I just came here and read the threads (thanks everyone, for posting so I don’t have to watch boring stuff). I haven’t really watched a whole season since Lex, although I went back on YouTube and watched many of Mariah & Bailey’s routines. Very fun. Truly, I’ve watched SYTYCD from the beginning, but maybe I’m getting old (yeah, definitely accurate). 

I saw a clip of Alexis and Keaton on Instagram, so I made sure to watch this episode—the whole thing. Really missed the practice clips and choreographer intro, but wow, the dances were mostly great. Gosh I loved Alexis & Keaton. Watched it many times. I love Talia’s stuff. I’ve seen some amazing dancers do her choreography (look up Sean Lew).
 

Keaton is one who might not have the absolute best technique of all the 12, but he just moves and dances really well. Like, Alexis might have better training, but I couldn’t not watch Keaton. He still is really well trained, obviously. I think of it like old contestant Allison, who has great technique, but I just don’t enjoy her dancing. Give me slightly sloppy Witney or the little softer hitter Katee or graceful Gabby, whom I thought connected so much better to the moves, the emotion, their partners, and the audience. Alexis reminds me a little of Jenna Johnson. She’s definitely got the skills and she knows it! But wow, that number was lovely. And after my first 4 views, I did watch Alexis instead of Keaton, and she was great! 

It will be interesting to see how they do with other styles. Looks like Keaton does a lot of hip hop, and he was great in that Luther last dance. How will he do in Latin? How will Alexis fare in hip hop? I think they’re the couple to beat, thanks to their execution of Talia’s dance. 

Edited June 17, 2022 by Sd601

[LexieLily]

On 6/15/2022 at 9:09 PM, desertflower said:

It seemed kind of rushed but maybe it’s because they only had an hour. But no behind the scenes of them learning the routine, and no talking to the choreographer! That felt weird. It just seems like they’ve changed the formula of the show so much.  

The pre-performance videos of dancetestants learning the choreography is the best way to get to know the contestants/how they mesh with their partners! Why would they take that away?

[Melonie77]

9 hours ago, Mason said:

 But it still bugs me that Beau decided to introduce himself to us that way. What he did just now showcased both personality and technique, and I find myself wanting him to stick around and do well. While I'm a sucker for dancers with a well-defined sense of humour, I do not enjoy visual jokes based on physical characteristics. That outfit reminded me of Doug Heffernen (King of Queens) in his UPS uniform.    

I went back in time a bit further.  I was instantly reminded of Ralph Kramden in his bus driver's uniform as soon as I saw Beau in his routine. He resembles Jackie Gleason somewhat. I agree with everyone that his acting and comedic skills would make him a great asset on Broadway.
I really like Anna and would like to see her paired with someone else with more dancing range.
I enjoyed all the dances but the show was once again very rushed and like others here I am hoping to see them working w/ the choreographers next week.

Edited June 17, 2022 by Melonie77

[peachmangosteen]

7 hours ago, LexieLily said:

The pre-performance videos of dancetestants learning the choreography is the best way to get to know the contestants/how they mesh with their partners! Why would they take that away?

In this particular episode, they had to show who made the Top 12 so there really was no way for them to show that type of package. I imagine the packages showing them practicing with the choreographer will be back next week.

[luvthepros]

8 hours ago, LexieLily said:

The pre-performance videos of dancetestants learning the choreography is the best way to get to know the contestants/how they mesh with their partners! Why would they take that away?

Not enough time in a one hour episode. Too bad FOX didn't give this episode a two hour block.

[realdancemom]

Just now, luvthepros said:

Not enough time in a one hour episode. Too bad FOX didn't give this episode a two hour block.

It's all about budget and ratings.  Sadly, the ratings are still not good and their changes aren't making it better.  I'm still happy the show is back especially after Keaton/Alexis' number.

[crowceilidh]

For the Canadians in the group, Beau is the spitting image of Sean Cullen, right down to body type and dancing ability.  I think Sean is a trifle more handsome in his older years now, but otherwise...  Sean is a comedian, radio host, broadway guy, tv special guy.  I couldn't find a pic that wasn't too much of a headshot to demonstrate the similarities.

[hula-la]

7 hours ago, crowceilidh said:

For the Canadians in the group, Beau is the spitting image of Sean Cullen, right down to body type and dancing ability.  I think Sean is a trifle more handsome in his older years now, but otherwise...  Sean is a comedian, radio host, broadway guy, tv special guy.  I couldn't find a pic that wasn't too much of a headshot to demonstrate the similarities.

He totally is! Now I’ve got “wood, cheese, and children” in my head. Even though it’s a shadow of its former self, I’m glad to have the show back. 
 

[desertflower]

Beau reminds me of Otho from Beetlejuice. 

[realdancemom]

On 6/16/2022 at 12:18 PM, luvthepros said:

I wish Thiago was teamed with the little blonde who is teamed with Beau. Thiago is the best technician (IMHO) and he is going to struggle (as he did in this first dance) to do lifts with Essence. For crying out loud, she weighs as much as he does.

From the way they structured the eliminations (which actually did not happen), it looks as though partners will be split up depending on who is eliminated. I surely hope the eliminations will not be done in teams like it was in the very early seasons of this show.

They wouldn't have paired Thiago with Anna since they're both contemporary.  The closest is Waverly who is contemporary paired with Jordan who is jazz.    The liftee has to contribute with lifts too.  Unfortunately, I don't think Essence is used to lifts or partnering work in general.  She needs to help with a little push off and hold her core.  And agree with Twitch about pointing her toes because it's mostly noticeable during these lifts.  I generally believe that the judges paired Thiago and Essence as a couple because like I mentioned above, they were the IT couple to me based on the TV coverage that they showed. 

On 6/16/2022 at 12:20 PM, luvthepros said:

What I noticed about Lord Finn is he is so light on his feet. That is in direct contrast to the heaviness that his partner danced.

I expect Lord Finn to be better in hip hop vs. Virginia.  It's the same with Carter and the jive.  His retractions were sharper and quicker.  But Ralyn did a great job in the jive considering it's not her genre.

On 6/17/2022 at 12:48 AM, Melonie77 said:

I went back in time a bit further.  I was instantly reminded of Ralph Kramden in his bus driver's uniform as soon as I saw Beau in his routine. He resembles Jackie Gleason somewhat. I agree with everyone that his acting and comedic skills would make him a great asset on Broadway.
I really like Anna and would like to see her paired with someone else with more dancing range.
I enjoyed all the dances but the show was once again very rushed and like others here I am hoping to see them working w/ the choreographers next week.

After you said this, Beau did remind me of Ralph Kramden.  LOL!!

I agree with everyone that I hope they show partners working with choreographers this coming week.  It shows their personalities more and I like to know the choreographers' thoughts on their pieces.

[displayname]

2 hours ago, realdancemom said:

I expect Lord Finn to be better in hip hop vs. Virginia.  It's the same with Carter and the jive.  His retractions were sharper and quicker.  But Ralyn did a great job in the jive considering it's not her genre.

I am going to guess that Virginia is just fodder, though. As you pointed out, she danced like a studio girl doing hip hop, which doesn't bode well to me when it comes to her own genre either. And I didn't enjoy this performance (in terms of character) at all from her.

[bourbon]

I do like that they've opened this show up as far as body-diversity. There are certainly dancers that Nigel NEVER would have accepted. It's just more interesting, and I like that having a larger or smaller dancer forces the choreographers to open up the storytelling, particularly with the contemporary dances. I feel like there are only so many times we can watch variations on someone is dead/dying/addicted/abused/estranged. 

Beau can sell the hell out of a dance. The technique isn't there, but the same can be said for a lot of dancers that have passed thru the SYTYCD family. I also liked Keaton, and I think that's another instance of the choreographers maybe being creative in their choreography with someone who isn't your traditional lithe male dancer. They've had bigger guys before -- I'm thinking of Will from S9 -- but I think it was largely done as a sight gag when paired with petite, pixieish Amelia. I'm interested to see how/if they use his size, as compared to someone like Waver

I find it difficult to warm to Thiago. And I don't know what it is about many ballroom boys like Carter. There's sort of a bland slickness that seems to be trained into them. Lots of teeth, nice hair, meh. I don't think he's long for this show. 

Edited June 19, 2022 by bourbon

[sharifa70]

2 hours ago, bourbon said:

I do like that they've opened this show up as far as body-diversity. There are certainly dancers that Nigel NEVER would have accepted. It's just more interesting, and I like that having a larger or smaller dancer forces the choreographers to open up the storytelling, particularly with the contemporary dances. I feel like there are only so many times we can watch variations on someone is dead/dying/addicted/abused/estranged.

I completely agree with this. While I watched the episode I thought about how nice it was to see a variety of body types (and I remember the concerns about Donyelle, who was by no means a large woman but she didn’t fit that stereotypical lean figure either).