S12.E08: Top 20 Perform + Elimination

[kingshearte]

It's hard enough for me to recognize who is who during the big group number (especially early in the season when there are still twenty dancers), but then they decide to put full face makeup on everyone? I mean, I like Dia de los Muertos/sugar skull makeup but damn, it was hard for me to figure out who anyone was during that opening number.

I actually kind of liked that about it. It pretty much entirely kept me from trying to identify anyone so I could just watch the dance for itself.

 

Totally agree that we need a different narrative for the trios than 2 girls fight over a guy, stat. I don't mind the groups as long as they stay small, but we need to bring some different dynamics in than just the one tired story. And there needs to be some consideration for dance style when deciding group size. Completely agree with everyone who has said that a salsa trio was just a recipe for disaster. I don't know exactly how they're picking these assignments, but if it's a hat situation, this could so easily be dealt with: start by picking dance style, which specifies how many people should be in it. Then you pull that number of names. Ta-da! No more absurd salsa trios.

 

I am also beyond over the "OMG, a street dancer can do X!" Especially when they're talking about a "street" dancer who's been in a Broadway show. Seriously, my eyes rolled back so hard during Virgil's rehearsal stuff I almost missed the performance. Nothing against him, but FFS, show.

 

I still can't quite figure out what to make of Asaf. I think he's trying, or at least, he wants to be trying, but maybe he's just more outwardly expressive about his frustrations? And I really do feel like what he means to convey is often just not the way it comes across. But I also think there is a pretty big streak of arrogance that we're watching get humbled as he realizes that while he may be very good at what he does, he is just not in the same league as some of the dancers around him, who are not only also very good at what they do, but many of them are pretty good at other things too.

 

And Travis. Oh, man. I think one of the things I dislike most about this new format is that it's making me hate Travis. I've been a fan for a long time. Some of my all-time favourite pieces were ones he choreographed. But this shoving him in my face not just every episode, but in every segment? It's becoming very tiresome already. Especially when compared to Twitch, who I guess is there just as much, but is just so much more chill that he's more bearable. But I'm closer then I ever expected to be to joining a bunch of y'all in "Shut up, Travis" territory.

[Beezella]

I liked that one dancer referred to seesaws as "teeter-totters," because that's what I used to call them. (Used to because when was the last time I referred to one at all?!)

 

I don't think they even have teeter-totters on the newer playgrounds. There might still be some relics around. I think they can be pretty dangerous. I remember when I was a wee thing, the person on the bottom just got up off the thing and I went crashing to the ground. Those merry-go-round things are mostly gone too I think.

 

I also agree with someone earlier who was disappointed with the little bit the seesaws actually were used in the final number as performed. Again, the camera work didn't help, you sure couldn't see everything that was going on.

Edited July 24, 2015 by Beezella

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I don't think they even have teeter-totters on the newer playgrounds. There might still be some relics around. I think they can be pretty dangerous. I remember when I was a wee thing, the person on the bottom just got up off the thing and I went crashing to the ground.

I just went to a brand new playground last month and they had teeter totters! But they are less common now.

Edited July 24, 2015 by ElectricBoogaloo

[Rick Kitchen]

But who knows if that still applies now. Do they still mention the hat on air? Maybe you only need to do the hat if you mention the hat. I always wondered how "curated" that hat was, e.g., could it contain only "jazz," "contemporary," and "lyrical hip-hop" for Nigel's favorite contempo girl who's not pulling in the votes?

 

I think the show is up to something with Asaf's edit, I just can't figure out what.

 

They said the dances last week were blind draws, which made me wonder if they had put the trios together first and THEN drew what genre they were going to do.  Or maybe they just all did the genre draw and when they saw three people drew salsa, they put them all together in one routine.

[traboule]

Thoughts after watching each dance three times (I don't always trust my first impressions).

 

Opening Group Dance: The first shot was reminiscent of Tyce Diorio's jazz piece for All-Star Kathryn and S10 Paul. I enjoyed this number, especially the girls' group work. They're really showcasing the girls' grit this season. I don't know if the make-up was disrespectful, but I did think it looked cool even if it obscured who was who much of the time.

 

Salsa with Hailee, Yorelis and Darion: Oof, what a mess. I knew that on my first impression. Poor Darion - to be knocked by having a "thinking" face while also being criticized for the risk of his partners' injury. He wasn't served well by the choreography or the judges, though I think Paula was trying to be fair. That lift of Hailee was so awkward. Eesh. Yorelis looked the best out of all of them - my eye was drawn to her. She seemed to get more of the micro-movements than the others, for lack of a technical term for it. Her performance was also boosted by a little hairography.

 

Jazz with Ariana and Derek: I have a hard time getting over the complete mismatch of the song choice and the "concept" of the piece. Combined with the costumes, it made it a very tonally weird piece for me. I thought the dancers executed it fine for the most part, though neither are very charismatic dancers for me. Did anyone else notice the camera bobble in the middle?

 

Contemporary with Alexia, Virgil and Megz: My favorite performance of the night. First, the choreography was excellent. Even when the dancers were each doing a separate type of movement, it felt cohesive, and their motions often flowed into each other's in interesting ways. I know the execution wasn't perfect from Megz, but she held her own, didn't seem to be holding back, and from the background package for this and the group piece, the choreographers like working with her, which I always find a good sign. Alexia really caught my eye in this piece, and she hadn't really been on my radar previously. Loved that expression in her backward glance at the end. Reminds me of Bridget's look at the end of the bed-frame dance in last season. Virgil kind of disappeared in this dance, probably because the girls were in the foreground about 90% of the time. Also, someone last season on these boards pointed out that - depending on how its done - stage lighting can sometimes disadvantage dancers with darker skin and I was wondering if that was happening here.

 

Bollywood with Lily, Gaby, Edson and Burim: This was carried by the girls, mostly because the choreography went easy on the guys. They have some posing with the drums, while the girls had much more high-energy moves. Nice showcase for the guys' abs though at the end, as has been mentioned previously. I don't think I knew that Edson had a cheerleading background - cool.

 

Broadway with Neptune, Kate, Asaf: I do like Kate's cool style in this piece, though Neptune was stealing the show for me with his expression and energy. I definitely wasn't watching Asaf when all three were in motion. I noticed near the beginning that when the guys took turns reaching out their hands to the small of Kate's back and then withdrawing them, Neptune put some elasticity and spring into it, while Asaf's same movement was comparatively lifeless.

 

Lyrical Hip-Hop with JaJa and Jim - I feel out of step with just about everyone . . . I thought this was nice but not amazing. But then I always preferred Mark/Chelsie's Kiss Kiss jazz over Bleeding Love. I like to see the dancers sweat. :) I think JaJa and Jim were very expressive. I am definitely curious to see JaJa outside of her wheelhouse.

 

Jazz with Marissa, Moises, and JJ - Second favorite piece of the night - the song and the choreography worked well together, which is actually hard to say most of the time on SYTYCD. If it wasn't so hard for the show to get music rights, we might have more of that. Anyway, I loved Marissa's fierceness here. I am definitely warming up to her. Thanks to whoever pointed out her great kip in last week's number. I went back and watched for that. Marissa sometimes reminds me of Tanisha in that fierceness and strength. Moises was outstanding - so much talent there. JJ seemed fine that I could see but my eye was usually drawn to the other two. Whatever about their facial expressions . . . it worked fine on TV anyway. Glad Paula spoke up about that.

 

Team Street - Camera work seemed to focus too much on the b-boys at times, at the expense of seeing the group work better. I liked some of the ideas happening for this piece, but it didn't wow me.

 

Team Stage - I get the criticisms about the piece's lack of originality, but I liked this, and I liked it more than Team Street's from this episode. I am apparently susceptible to the combination of Woodkid and a lot of synchronous group work. Kate stood out to me here (might have been the contrast of the red hair with their brown clothing though), plus of course the two that got tossed.

 

Eliminations: I agreed with the twitter voters in the save of Neptune and Moises, who both acquitted themselves well in this episode. I was fine with either Darion or Derek going. I would have preferred Lily over Ariana, as I thought Lily stood out in Vegas and last week, but I don't dislike Ariana.

 

Dancers I'm excited about currently: Alexia, Megz, Gaby, Neptune, Marissa, Moises.

I have been excited about some of the other dancers before, but those six are the most intriguing to me at the moment.

 

Format of the show overall: I like that there are combinations of trios, quartets and duos now. The partner dynamic led to a lot of stale pieces and though the current format is not immune to stale pieces, I like the possibility that has opened up with this change. Now it's up to the choreographers to handle that variety.

 

One benefit of the Team Street / Team Stage conceit is that it gives a fun spin on the group pieces. We always compared the two group pieces against each other anyway (and they were often the best pieces of the night last season). I mostly think of the Team Street / Team Stage as a friendly rivalry (though Travis does seem a little weird about it) and I don't mind it now that I've seen how it actually plays out. To me, it's a welcome, refreshing change from dividing the dancers by gender. Yes, I can see how it feeds into these stereotypes about who is trained and who isn't, but that narrative was in the show well before this more formal rendering of it. The clues that Stage and Street are not clear-cut lines of difference are all there in the show for those who care to see it. A dancer's comment on training, Virgil's Broadway experience, Yorelis' more stage background, etc.

Edited July 24, 2015 by traboule

[ToxicUnicorn]

The thing that's bothering me the most this season is Asaf. I don't remember anyone on this show having been so obviously cast to generate drama before. SYTYCD was never really about that in the past and was a much better show for it.

 

The first thing I think of when I think of drama + SYTYCD is S1's Blake and his dog.  The next thing I think of is Mia's criticisms of people (starting with Heidi, and then extending to Danny).  Asaf has a long way to go before he makes it onto (my) list of notable dramatic personalities.

 

About Asaf: I really do like his personality and think he is a nice guy but his inability to pick up choreography and his attitude are extremely off-putting.

 

I'll plead guilty to having a weak spot for the underdog, though.  In that spirit, here's a video of Brian Friedman "teaching" masterclass choreography.  Given what Evan K. said (discussed on the last page) about how little time they had to learn routines, if this is how the choreographers teach, I can really sympathize with Asaf saying out loud a few times (heck, every time) that learning choreo is really hard!  (Also, S8's Ryan Ramirez looks pretty fantastic as one of the demo dolls in the video.)

 

I agree with a lot of traboule's post above - especially the bit about how Moises was outstanding.  Between last week and this week, he is setting up a good run at being my favorite boy ... potentially displacing my early pick of Jim.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

The first thing I think of when I think of drama + SYTYCD is S1's Blake and his dog.

Haha, Blake's dog drama was so ridiculous! Poor Alan.

[Haleth]

I was enjoying the street group dance until Burim and Asaf did their spinny thing, suggesting they couldn't go outside their wheelhouse. They need to go.

Jim and Jaja were wonderful.

Why are they doing trios for so many dances?

[Anothermi]

I'll plead guilty to having a weak spot for the underdog, though.  In that spirit, here's a video of Brian Friedman "teaching" masterclass choreography.  

 

I'd be happy to click on a link if you have it?

[Anothermi]

Evan was on Season 5, which was 6 years ago, now.  If you believe the wikipedia article for Season 7, it says an All-Star partner was chosen at random each week.  However, it does not mention that styles were chosen at random (who here believes they were, when Pasha gets jive and week 1 is Alex f. Wong and Allison in a contemporary by Sonya?).  I don't recall hearing anything about randomness from that point on.

 

 

I could swear that Cat said something about random picks of dances and/or partners at the end of the showcase your own style show i regards to the next week's show.  Of course, I have removed that from my DVR already, so I can't check.

 

OK, so I finally took some time and listened to the show (as opposed to re-watching it) and just after she made the announcement about who were nominated for Emmys Cat said:

        "After last Monday's show, we mixed the two teams up into groups and each group picked a random dance style to

        perform tonight."

 

So that confirms my belief that the premise of randomness/luck-of-the-draw continues to play a part in this show. However, it seems to indicate that ONLY the dance styles were chosen at random (poor Darion & co. as well as their choreographers) otherwise it would also have been stated as clearly that the partners were chosen at random (Oh hi! Standards & Practices lady).

 

IIRC ever since Season 2 TPTB have decided on who was paired with who until Top 10, so it's basically been the dance styles that are random.  My memory agrees with Wikipedia that in Season 7 the contestants actually drew their All-star partner from a hat but that would be the exception and that whole season was an exception.  Perhaps the dance styles were chosen by TPTB that season, but Wikipedia isn't subject to Standards and Practices so silence on the subject there doesn't prove anything nor does silence on the subject from the show. It's what the show says when the DO address it because they can be held accountable for that.

 

Despite the above, there are enough ways for TPTB to manipulate the viewers  - including editing or who partners whom -  that I agree with the general tone of healthy skepticism we display on these forums.

Edited July 25, 2015 by Anothermi

[ElectricBoogaloo]

just after she made the announcement about who were nominated for Emmys Cat said:

        "After last Monday's show, we mixed the two teams up into groups and each group picked a random dance style to

        perform tonight."

 

So that confirms my belief that the premise of randomness/luck-of-the-draw continues to play a part in this show. However, it seems to indicate that ONLY the dance styles were chosen at random (poor Darion & co. as well as their choreographers) otherwise it would also have been stated as clearly that the partners were chosen at random (Oh hi! Standards & Practices lady).

The choreographers have to know how many dancers will be in their piece ahead of time, which makes me believe that at the very least there is at least a little bit of manipulation by the producers. There was only one group of four so they had to know that whichever foursome they put together would be doing Bollywood. Similarly, there were three groups of three so when the producers decided who to put in a group of three (as opposed to a twosome or a foursome), they knew that they would be assigning either salsa, contemporary, Broadway, or jazz to each group. And there were only two pairs so they knew that of the two pairs they put together, one would be doing jazz and the other would be doing hip hop. Even though choreographers can adapt a routine for more/less dancers than originally intended, it's a dick move to tell a choreographer to come up with a routine for two people and then the day before they start teaching the routine to tell them, "Oh, by the way, now you have three people in this dance!"

[crowceilidh]

 

If it wasn't so hard for the show to get music rights, we might have more of that.

This is why I'm not annoyed at the show for their often spurious claims of bringing fame to various musicians.  I don't understand why they have to be so cheap that they have trouble getting music rights, but there really IS something in it for the musicians if they agree to have their music featured.  The number of musicians I have become familiar with through this show is huge -- when I put together a drive mix, my peers are always amazed at the current music I'm familiar with (we're old).

[ToxicUnicorn]

I'd be happy to click on a link if you have it?

 

Oops!  So sorry!  Here it is:

 

 

 

[axlmadonna]

I love this show don't get me wrong but I get tired of them trying to change things. I want Mary Murphy back...I want Sonja back...I want Mia Michaels back. I want guest judges that are actual choreographers, Adam Shankman, Tyse, that guy that used to say BUCK all the time I can't think of his name.

<br /><br />Cosigned!!

[cali1981]

 

 

I love this show don't get me wrong but I get tired of them trying to change things. I want Mary Murphy back...I want Sonja back...I want Mia Michaels back. I want guest judges that are actual choreographers, Adam Shankman, Tyse, that guy that used to say BUCK all the time I can't think of his name.

Ah, you are thinking of the hyper-erudite Lil'C.  So here Ladies and Germs, for your elucidation, education and entertainment, I give you a small sampling of Lil' C's loquaciousness. Have your dictionaries and thesauruses close at hand.

 

-It's really difficult to locate the avenue of gain when you're being chauffeured by loss. And I think every opportunity is one step closer to perpetual evolution.

-The primary focus of all obstacles is to induce labor so progression can be born.

-The dedication of the dramatization of the creation of the mutilation of the soul.

-Dancing is a language, and you have to pick up the choreographer’s vernacular.

-This particular show is like a prestigious museum that features the most immaculate portraits to ever be painted on the dance floor. and my particular favorite piece of art showcases the relationship between the mind, the heart, and the dance floor.

-A lot of people don’t understand that instead of dancing from your heart, you have to dance through your heart. The mind is the birthplace of ingenuity, and then you need your heart as the mediator to the dance floor.

-Anytime you’re blessed to be aboard a vessel that facilitates education of world dance to the mass public, that’s the victory to me.

-You guys danced that way better than I thought you would. Ade you have a real dirty kind of groove about you. You don’t always use it but this time you sat in it! You immersed yourself in it. You pulled Jeanine down into the dirt with you. It was buck.

-Being out of your comfort zone represents unfamiliarity and it also represents darkness and when faced with certain challenges, being out of the comfort zone of your genre, you have to go and befriend characteristics of your challenge. You have to go and see your music. And when you see your music, you have to see certain pieces of music with your ears. And when you see with your ears, there is no darkness. I saw no darkness within this routine.

-Allow me to commend you for not getting swallowed by the dominant excellence of Ade and Brandon!

-You need to see the music with your ears.

-I believe that the primary focus of all obstacles is to induce labor so progression can be born. And I believe that right now I just saw the birth of progression in two amazing dancers.

[ToxicUnicorn]

You have to go and see your music. And when you see your music, you have to see certain pieces of music with your ears. And when you see with your ears, there is no darkness.

This has got to be good material for a joke - I just can't hear it yet..

[Rick Kitchen]

Speaking of ... profundities ...

 

tWitch posted this on Twitter today:

 

 

The progression of others in the path of their dreams shouldn't deter you from yours.Every achievement earned is proof that it is possible.

[Mertseger]

Ah, you are thinking of the hyper-erudite Lil'C.  So here Ladies and Germs, for your elucidation, education and entertainment, I give you a small sampling of Lil' C's loquaciousness. Have your dictionaries and thesauruses close at hand.

 

...

-The dedication of the dramatization of the creation of the mutilation of the soul.

...

 

A verb, Senator, we need a verb. I do miss Lil'C's verbal flourishes.

[Rahul]

Rahul, could you clarify if you don't like Bollywood in general? I'd love more perspective since it seems to be the only "ethnic" dance this show promotes.

 

Pallida, sorry I'm just seeing this.

 

I have a general disdain for Bollywood because unlike classical Indian dance (of which there are seven or eight different varieties), Bollywood or filmi dance has no formal technique and is performed to contemporary music. It is an amalgam of folk and western styles that evolved alongside Hindi films through the 1900s that was supposed to appeal to the masses who did not/could not appreciate the classical styles which date back thousands of years and are based on the medieval Sanskrit treatises Natya Shastra and Abhinaya Darpanam. All Indian classical dance can be broadly divided into nritta--pure, abstract dance--and nritya, or interpretive dance which incorporates miming, hand gestures, etc. to tell a story.

 

In college I was roped into doing a couple of these kinds of numbers (hip hop/Bollywood fusion) for the annual Diwali functions. However I absolutely cannot sit through these kinds of dances.

 

Here are some clips showcasing Kathak, the classical Indian dance of North India. It's salient features are the spins (chakkar) and quick and intricate footwork (tatkar).

 

Short kathak number which will give you a sense of the dance style:

 

Ladi (footwork) demo:

 

Short documentary on Kathak dance:

 

I don't want to veer too far off topic here as I could discuss Indian classical dance all day, but If you have any more pointed questions, don't hesitate to PM me. :)

Edited July 29, 2015 by Rahul

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Rahul, did you watch BBC Young Dancer earlier this year? They had a separate category for what they called South Asian dance but was made up of dancers who performed either Kathak or Bharatanatyam (the other three categories were ballet, hip hop, and contemporary).

[Rahul]

Rahul, did you watch BBC Young Dancer earlier this year? They had a separate category for what they called South Asian dance but was made up of dancers who performed either Kathak or Bharatanatyam (the other three categories were ballet, hip hop, and contemporary).

 

No, unfortunately I don't get BBC or BBC America in my cable package. However, thanks for bringing my attention to that show! Perhaps I can watch online or something.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I found it on youtube!

http://youtu.be/sq6Jurzspb0