S12.E11: Top 16 Perform Live + Elimination

[Tara Ariano]

The Top 16 dancers perform, but two contestants are eliminated.

[Watt]

Wouldn't it be annoying if suddenly Asaf was good? Like he was keeping his abilities on the DL just to have this big comeback? Wouldn't surprised me if it was all orchestrated. Today's show should be exciting.

[Watt]

I have asafs dance paused because I'm scared to watch it.I'd be afraid of falling too.

Besides Asaf, this show is so good tonight.

Edited August 4, 2015 by Watt

[CelineA]

I'm happy to see them using Al Blackstone, but I wish he could've brought his buddy, Jess LeProtto, with him. Love having some good old, classic Broadway on the show. Gabby really is special.

 

This is overall, a very talented and versatile group of dancers. It will be hard to let some of them go.

[Haleth]

Well, that was more like it. Most of the dances were very entertaining. Except (once again) Asaf's. For half the dance he lumbered around while Kate danced. Not good. I also didn't think the tango was very good. Shouldn't the moves be crisp and staccato? JJ was too fluid, I thought.

Everything and everyone else were wonderful.

[allypenguin]

Is it just me, or does Jaja get more and more stunning every week? I completely agree with Jason's critique though. I definitely thought that she had to work on her flexibility last week too with those arabesques. But she still did very well with the choreo.

 

Damn I want to dance with Leonardo. *fans self*

 

Gaby and Virgil's broadway was my favourite of the night. Also I started typing Fikshun instead of Virgil, oops. Virgil really does remind me of Fikshun though with the likability/smile factor.

 

Bye Asaf. I think you're a good person but you just weren't right for this show. Poor Kate in that rehearsal package. I'm surprised the Twitter vote saved Derek since he didn't even dance.

[Shades of Red]

 

 

Damn I want to dance with Leonardo. *fans self*

 

.

May I get in line with you?  Holy smokes the man exudes sensuality!

 

Thought tonight's show was better than last week's.  I was watching on CTV HD and it blanked/blacked out part way through Asaf and partner's dance.  Anyone else get that or maybe it was just on the Canadian feed?  I almost wondered if Shawn put something too risqué in the routine and it was censored?

[mojoween]

You can't have the dancers scared for any reason. It's not fair when they are trying to secure a space in the competition because it makes them tentative. It looks like Sean removed a couple of the higher lifts and I'm glad for that. I could normally take or leave Kate but I'm glad they kept her. Sucks for Marissa though.

I've seen Virgil compared to Fik-Shun so many times and I just do not see it. Probably because I loved Aaron so very much and Fik-Shun never did anything for me, ever. And I adore Virgil.

Maybe the street dancers keep saying they are going to become team stage because street is that much more difficult to get down, did you ever think of that Nigel? I am in no way saying that stage is easier, but street swagger you just can't teach.

I'm far from an expert even a little bit, but it didn't look like there was much tango in that tango.

[allypenguin]

May I get in line with you?  Holy smokes the man exudes sensuality!

 

Thought tonight's show was better than last week's.  I was watching on CTV HD and it blanked/blacked out part way through Asaf and partner's dance.  Anyone else get that or maybe it was just on the Canadian feed?  I almost wondered if Shawn put something too risqué in the routine and it was censored?

 

 

Haha yes! As long as it's not an Argentine tango trio! Well I dunno maybe Leonardo could make it work :P

 

Also I was watching on CTV too and had the weird blackout thing

[petalfrog]

Megz is truly amazing. I would love for her to take the whole thing! She has such an unusual look and it would be awesome to see someone who isn't "conventional" to win. That routine was spectacular and intense. I also think Jaja is fantastic. Her face is so exciting and expressive. I enjoyed JJ and Eurelis... overall the street girls are KILLING it. Enjoyed the crazy padded wall routine, espcially the hanging on at the top and doing tricks that way. I'm glad they decided to send Asaf home... all too often this show favors street dancers who are struggling to adapt and keep them on entirely too long. They made the right decision.

[Lindsey]

I'm so glad they got rid of Asaf. I spent half the episode wondering how they were going to justify keeping him around when he was so glaringly bad in his routine while everyone else was pretty strong tonight.

 

Did I mishear or did Nigel call Jaja "Baby?" He's always been a creeper but why hasn't anyone on the show made him take some sexual harassment training by now? Nigel, you do not call your young, female employees (which is essentially what the contestants on SYTYCD are to him) "Baby." Ever.

[Mason]

I'm surprised the Twitter vote saved Derek since he didn't even dance.

 

I suspect people were worried the judges would find a way to let him go instead of Asaf!! (I know, wrong team :-))

[WhineandCheez]

Gabby really is special.

 

You know, not to be dismissive, but Gaby is not naturally pretty but boy does she turn on the beauty in each and everything she does.  Her dance was so special I could not distinguish her from a Broadway headliner.  every little shrug and gesture, she imbued character in that role.  Virgil too, but he IS a Broadway headliner already.

 

Asaf and Kate's dance was  like a 78 rpm record played at 33 rpm (hello elderly folks out there).  Thank god he's gone.

 

YaYa is getting waaaay too much praise and leeway for her performances.  I would put her in the bottom next week (with Kate, natch) but that'll never happen.  Did they say 4 are gone next week?  I would say Derek, Edsson , Ariana and JJ or maybe Yorelis--she hasn't shined as much as she was supposed to.

 

Miriam and Leonardo are the sexiest couple in the universe. I would not throw him out of my bed, even with the vaguely pubic-looking goatee.  Didnt a tango dancer get injured a previous year and Leonardo also danced???

Edited August 4, 2015 by WhineandCheez

[kechara]

I liked more than 2 dances this week.  I think this was the first time.   Voting would be hard and get harder. It was also really nice to see some new choreographers and some cool choreography.

[beeble]

I really enjoyed these routines! Nothing made me think about doing laundry. No pointless reaching or dying relationships. Very refreshing.

 

These things made me happy:

1. Neptune and Alexia were just great. And they had wonderful chemistry. 

2. Derek was a foster child. Go foster system success stories!

3. Nigel gave  the lighting director and the costumer shout-outs. I love when the crew gets acknowledged. 

4. Gabby and Virgil! How adorable!! And I'm not going to snark that Virgil IS a Broadway dancer because I loved it.

5. Glad Kate survived her kidnapping attempt. Glad she can laugh about it. And she looked awesome in that red outfit.

6. Jason Derulo was a musical theatre major? I would LOVE to see him as Henry Higgins or Captain Von Trapp.

 

And add me to the growing list of people wanting to dance with Leonardo.

Edited August 4, 2015 by beeble

[TrudyC]

Why in the world is Kate in the bottom every week? She had one of the best performances last week. I'm afraid she's in trouble after tonight, although she did very well with what she was given. 

 

I like it when Travis Wall goes beyond what he typically does and tries something different with his choreography. I see this mostly in his group routines, and I really liked tonight's. 

 

I know nothing about ballroom, but I was impressed with JJ. She really surprised me this evening.

 

Megz impresses me every week, and for some reason, every week I'm caught off guard by it. She and Edson had my favorite routine this week. 

 

Now I'm off to have some "Jim time". Gotta prep the tub.

[Electruck]

 Didnt a tango dancer get injured a previous year and Leonardo also danced???

Coincidence? I think not. ;)

[crowceilidh]

I dislike Asaf and Kate's dance a great deal - I thought she looked like utter crap too.

 

I was meh on the street group routine and not completely sold on the opening number either.

 

Everything else was awesome.  I wanted Derek to go too.  I'm glad I didn't have to see him tango all sensually and squickily.

 

Nigel - pink suit.  Happy about the shout-out to Mary. 

 

I'm really liking the show again this year.  I don't think all of the changes are fantastic, but it's early days.  Hope they live to have more chances to tinker with the format.  Esp the promised NIgel-leaving tinker.

[P2C2E]

In Gaby's "get to know ya" bit I kept thinking she looked so familiar. I finally realized she reminds me soooo much of Sutton Foster!! And then she did a Broadway routine and I was sold on the similarities. 

[PhD-Purgatory15]

Did anyone else think for a second they might have been hiding Asaf in the back on the benches during the opening number? It took me half the routine to be absolutely sure they were inanimate.

The overall level of dance jumped a few notches...and yet I still wasn't totally blown away. It was like (baseball analogy) everybody hit ground rule doubles, no homers though.

The standouts here were Neptune and Alexia, Gaby and Virgil, and Edson and Megz. Really enjoyed how the prop was incorporated into first one, The charm of the Broadway piece, and the passion of the last piece.

Poor Kate is probably going to get burned next week...but if she was as terrified as she looked during rehearsals, I don't totally blame her for dancing tentatively and going into self-preservation mode.

Derick getting the twitter save is kind of a joke. Marissa isn't an awful loss at this point in the proceedings, but if I'm her or Kate and you lose out to someone who isn't even able to dance, that has to fry your brain and hurt your heart a little.

Edited August 4, 2015 by PhD-Purgatory15

[phoenix780]

I dislike Asaf and Kate's dance a great deal - I thought she looked like utter crap too.

 

I thought it was a lame attempt at what Mark did in his routine with Jenna.  But a lot of this show feels overly-familiar for me at this point, and while the kids all seem fine I'm a little...maybe I'm at the age where I should just find reruns.  It was all a little stale for me until Edson/Megz.  I'm going to condemn her to lose by saying this, but I love that girl.  I'm intrigued by the way she moves, and since I lack dance vocabulary I can only say it feels...grounded, earthy, and grown up, which I appreciate.  The whole thing was magic.  The ghost routine felt fresh, too.

 

The camerawork during the tango made it hard for me to see much of what was going on.  The costuming all night, however, was frickin' awesome.  Jason and Paula are also pretty awesome.  I don't think I fast-forwarded the judges once, though I skipped the second half of a routine and a few of the intro packages.

 

Not gonna lie, I went in watching for Asaf.  I wanted to hear whether the judges would defend their decision, whether he would have any kind of storyline.  They really used him well, poor kid, because he drew a lot of fire protecting the rest of them.  Also, I'm not sure how I feel about complimenting him with the motto for the Special Olympics.  

[Electruck]

Did anyone else think for a second they might have been hiding Asaf in the back on the benches during the opening number? It took me half the routine to be absolutely sure they were inanimate.

.

Me, too! I'm still not convinced he wasn't one of those.

I really liked the Travis piece until they started rolling with the lights. That was awkward.

Some gorgeous makeup on the women this week.

The Broadway number was so fun.

I really liked all the new choreographers' work this week. It can be a little hit or miss (with more miss) with newbies sometimes. Spencer Liff mentioned on Afterbuzz last week that the choreographers have to be ready well in advance with lighting, staging, and costume ideas, and new ones sometimes struggle to get it all right, being new to the show and its pace and timeline.

Edited August 4, 2015 by Electruck

[Cuatro1234]

 

I dislike Asaf and Kate's dance a great deal - I thought she looked like utter crap too.

 

This looked to me like some of the dancing in Austin Powers--like a spoof.  I don't think that was her fault.  I hated her costume for this though.

 

My friend I was watching with said, "Oh, great--Nigel cured racism, and now he's cured depression, too!"  We both thought it was awkward that he brought up Jim's surgeries.

 

Definitely a better show than last week.  Did we get confirmation that we're losing 4 next week?   Some folks on Idol Forums were counting the number of shows until the finale and had speculated there would be a double elimination, likely from Top 14 to Top 10.

 

I liked that there were no trios, and that there were some same-sex pairings (those dances always seem fresher to me). 

 

I thought there was too much shaking-heads-into-the-camera-while-looking-spooky in Travis's group routine.  He really uses the cameras.

[chaddyou812]

 

I thought there was too much shaking-heads-into-the-camera-while-looking-spooky in Travis's group routine.  He really uses the cameras.

 

I'd agree with this. I also think they could have gotten rid of the prop for part of the routine so they could have done a bit more dancing, but I thought the concept was interesting and cool for the most part. At least he did something different!

[Zuleikha]

Is Megz one of the street dancers who's cross-trained with contemporary or jazz? She has a problem with hunched shoulders that's typical of people whose primary dance training is under the hip-hop umbrella, but she blew me away in her dance with Edson. She was so soft! I know Paula took a lot of heat for her comments to Moises, but I thought Megz provided an object lesson in the type of versatility Paula meant. 

 

I have been loving Hailee, but strangely when she was paired with Jaja, I found that it was Jaja I couldn't stop watching. I don't care if Jaja's less flexible than desirable for contemporary women. That's not something she can quickly fix, and it's not something she needs for her primary dance style. But she's amazing as capturing the spirit and emotion of the dances she's assigned.

 

I am so not surprised that JJ did well in her Argentine Tango because she got to dance with a proper lead. Dancesport partnering skills have always been underrated on this show. I really doubt JJ would have looked as good with Derek. (and no, Argentine Tango isn't staccato. That's Dancesport tango. Argentine tango can be crisp but it can also be oozy and melty.)

 

I am often harsh on Travis, so I will give him props for his team Stage group dance. That was a great concept with great use of props. 

 

I still feel like I'm seeing hip-hop dance properly showcase for the first time every time I see a group Street dance. It makes me so happy.

 

I don't want to blame Sean Cheesman when I know Asaf is extremely limited in his ability to go outside of b-boy movement, but I also can't remember a Cheesman jazz that I've actually liked. I feel like he should have either just given Kate better choreography and let Asaf flop or he should have found a better way to simplify the movement. Because while Asaf looked sexy as heck in the piece, it was overall boring and Kate didn't do anything interesting in her part either. Also, poor Kate was let down by costuming. She didn't even get to look pretty or sexy!

[vibeology]

Miriam and Leonardo are the sexiest couple in the universe. I would not throw him out of my bed, even with the vaguely pubic-looking goatee.  Didnt a tango dancer get injured a previous year and Leonardo also danced???

 

Yes. This is not the first time this has happened. I don't know what they're putting in the dances, but maybe its too much for kids on this schedule to pull off without getting hurt.

 

 

I am so not surprised that JJ did well in her Argentine Tango because she got to dance with a proper lead. Dancesport partnering skills have always been underrated on this show. I really doubt JJ would have looked as good with Derek. (and no, Argentine Tango isn't staccato. That's Dancesport tango. Argentine tango can be crisp but it can also be oozy and melty.)

 

This! Having a strong partner who can lead and even talk you through the steps is a huge advantage and even still I only thought the dance was good. With Derek has her partner, it probably wouldn't have been a successful dance.

 

If there really is a double elimination, I'm very scared for Kate. Marissa was just dragged out of the competition because of Asaf and now Kate has a dance with very little choreography and mostly posing designed to cover his limitations. She's already had a hard time connecting with voters and that was with one of the best routines of the season when she danced last week. I would hate to see her go. I think she's a much stronger dancer than Alexia, Edson and even though I love her- Hailee. 

 

On the street side, I'm ready to lose JJ and Arianna. Sorry. I just think the others are so much stronger. That depression dance had the potential to be another Gravity, only Arianna can't bring the face like Kupono could. She wasn't anything in that dance, personality-wise. Megz is a revelation! Just the improvements from her first contemporary number are mind blowing. Yorelis was good, but not amazing in her duo, but she came alive in that group number and totally stole the show. She just had that spark. When you look at Jaja, she's been at the same awesome level for a while, but she hasn't been moving up. Yorelis and Megz have and that's the sort of difference that could sink Jaja in a few weeks once the people who have been constantly in the bottom three are gone.

[OakGoblinFly]

I enjoyed most of the dances tonight and, excepting Asaf, I don't think anyone was particularly awful.  I am glad the judges saved Kate because she certainly received the short end of the partnership stick.  She tried her best, unfortunately her partner wasn't up to the task and I felt that the choreography was really dumbed down to account Asaf's inability.  So very glad he's gone.  

 

At times JaJa reminded me of Anna Trebunskaya - not in dancing ability but in her look, especially with her hair down.  And congratulations on your engagement.

 

So nice to see that Jim (1) enjoys a good bubble bath and (2) finally get a dance closer to his own style - gorgeous, gorgeous lines and the quality of movement was to die for.  And I disagree with the judges that Ariana "kept up with Jim step-for-step."  She was decent and held her own but I thought her quality of movement was lacking.

 

That Gaby and Virgil routine was delightful - and so wonderful to see a little bit of tap tossed into the mix.  The both had wonderful movement and just the right amount of personality to sell the routine (sometimes the contestants oversell the Broadway routines and it looks really cheesey (in a bad way)). 

[Watt]

I don't get what everyone loves about Kate. Well not everyone, obviously, but I just feel meh on her. It really isn't her dancing, but something that rubs me the wrong way about her personality.

I like Alexia more than I thought I would.

[mojoween]

I thought JJ and Hailee came across as vapid in the intros with their hair discussion and Asaf was adorable with his newfound love for donuts and peanut butter. They don't sell peanut butter in Israel?

The other intros ranged from interesting to unmemorable for me.

Oh and Nigel, "you danced your Asaf" was not funny the first time you said it, it did not need a reprise.

[fuzzed]

Paula said something about Jaja not even making it out of choreo last season. I could have sworn she made it to the Green Mile. Anyone recall her path last season?

[LadyMustang65]

It felt to me as though the show really started to hit its stride tonight.  I liked to loved all of the routines tonight.  I'll get this out of the way upfront - I'm sorry and not sorry to see Asaf go.  I thought his performance tonight was light years' ahead of where he started.  There's still room for a lot of improvement, but he was so much better in his movement and in his portrayal of the character.  But he wasn't going to be Top 10 anyway, so I'm glad he got this week to prove that he is capable of getting better.  And conversely while I had been warming up to Kate over the past couple of weeks, last night she completely lost me.  Every dancer we've ever seen on the show has struggled with learning a new lift.  Even big strong guys like Aaron had troubles initially.  So suck it up, buttercup.  Get over yourself and have a little trust in your partner.  For gosh sakes, in rehearsals there are a dozen people milling around to catch you if you fall, and if he isn't getting it, the choreographers take it out.  She just really irritated me, and now I want her gone. 

 

We found that in the Hailee/Jaja piece, we kept watching JaJa  She's just so stunning.  My husband also mentioned that he saw Anna Trebunskaya in her.  Megz was amazing. We so far have always enjoyed Jim and Gaby.  I thought Fik-shun was adorable, but I wasn't a fan.  Virgil has some of those same qualities, but I think he's the better dancer. 

 

Basically, I'll be amazed if a girl doesn't win this year.  (Are they doing one winner or two?)  They are definitely the strongest, I think.  Overall I think Team Street is the better group.  They all seem fairly strong, and I actually know all of their names.  Team Stage is still mostly interchangeable to me except for Jim and Gaby (and Hailee because her look is distinctive).  I'm expecting things to take off now.

Edited August 4, 2015 by LadyMustang65

[Haleth]

(and no, Argentine Tango isn't staccato. That's Dancesport tango. Argentine tango can be crisp but it can also be oozy and melty.)

 

Thanks for answering my question.

Virgil too, but he IS a Broadway headliner already.

 

Really?  What is he in?

I thought JJ and Hailee came across as vapid in the intros with their hair discussion

 

I know!  The most interesting thing about JJ is how she makes a bun?

Also, I'm not sure how I feel about complimenting him with the motto for the Special Olympics.

 

Yeah, face-palm moment.

 

Yeah, the girls are really killing it although I won't be surprised to see a lot of them voted out over the next few weeks to even up the gender gap.  I was sort of surprised that they didn't keep Asaf because of how fast the men were dropping out, but I guess it would be hard to keep up that charade for another week.

[pally]

JJ can go home.  She danced with a man who just oozes sex appeal and that Argentine Tango left me cold.  She put no personality or sexiness in that dance and you could see Leonardo pulling her body and leg into position in several spots.  She's lucky that Derek got hurt.  That dance likely would have been a train wreck without Leonardo's expertise. 

Jaja may not be the best dancer but she is captivating when she dances.  She can change her face in tiny ways yet that change can exude a totally different emotion.  Its the "it" factor that Kate lacks.  

I would like to see Megz in a Broadway or a humerous hip-hop type dance to see how she does with the personality needed for those dances.  She is really growing on me as she grows in confidence

If I had to guess at this point top 5 for Team Street: Virgil, Neptune, Jaja, Megz, Yourellis.  Team Stage: Jim, Hailey, Gaby, Alexia, Edson/Derek

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I really love that we are getting a larger pool of choreographers this season (although I see we are back to our weekly minimum of Travis). It's so nice not to have the same 4 choreographers do every routine every week.

 

I'm surprised the Twitter vote saved Derek since he didn't even dance.

It reminded me of when Ashley Di Lello was injured and couldn't dance but she got through to the next week because she and Ryan got people to vote for her.
 

I felt so bad for Kate. Doing lifts can be scary, and contrary to what the show would have you believe it's not something that all dancers do in every dance style. It's far more common in classical ballet, but there are lots of dancers who can get into their 20s without every doing lifts. It really is a different skill set and requires a lot of trust with your partner. If you don't trust your partner completely, it is a totally different experience. She must have been really upset to be on the verge of tears while talking to Travis about it. I haven't seen too much of Kate in rehearsals but she doesn't seem like a hysterical cryer so she must have been pretty frustrated to say that on camera.

 

I don't care if Jaja's less flexible than desirable for contemporary women. That's not something she can quickly fix, and it's not something she needs for her primary dance style.

While I think that flexibility that anyone can work on (and something that all dancers should work on), I agree. There is only so much progress you can make in a few weeks. It always drives me crazy when this issue comes up on Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team beacuse you can't reasonably expect someone who can't do the splits to miraculously do the splits in a few weeks (although in that case, everyone who tries out for the DCC knows that they will have to do the jump splits so it's pretty stupid NOT to work on their splits before auditioning).

 

Did I mishear or did Nigel call Jaja "Baby?" He's always been a creeper but why hasn't anyone on the show made him take some sexual harassment training by now? Nigel, you do not call your young, female employees (which is essentially what the contestants on SYTYCD are to him) "Baby." Ever.

Sadly, no, your ears did not deceive you. I know he called another female "baby" last week too. Why doesn't he refer to any of the male dancers as "sweetheart" or "baby"? Oh, right, because he only likes to sexualize and infantalize the females.

 

It was time for Asaf to go. He was terrible again in his routine. He spent half of it just standing or walking in a lumbering fashion (to the point where it looked like he was the celeb half of a couple on DWTS) and when he was given some choreography, he looked so terrible doing it. He is great in his style, no doubt about that, but this show wants cross trained dancers and he was never going to be able to cut it in any style but his own. He should just be glad that he was eliminated before he was assigned contemporary or Viennese waltz. Or quickstep! And once again he was in the back row of both the opening number and the team street dance, which should tell you how the choreographers felt about him.

 

Ariane will probably be safe next week but I feel like she needs to go soon because she has been in the bottom EVERY WEEK.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Virgil too, but he IS a Broadway headliner already.

Really?  What is he in?

He was in After Midnight starring Dulé Hill and Fantasia Barrino. I wouldn't describe Virgil as a Broadway headliner though since technically his name wasn't even on the poster. But he did perform in a Tony-nominated Broadway show until it closed which is nothing to sneeze at.

[Mason]

Paula said something about Jaja not even making it out of choreo last season. I could have sworn she made it to the Green Mile. Anyone recall her path last season?

 

I remember she was in Vegas long enough to stun everyone with her ballroom! She looked and dressed the part; and ever since, I've been waiting for her to get one!!

[crowceilidh]

Childishly, I just want to say that I pointed out the JaJa - Anna Trebunskaya similarity many threads ago.  Why I need to say this is beyond me.

 

I feel that the edit monkeys sacrificed Kate to justify pushing out Asaf.  Despite understanding her fear, that attitude is not a vote-getting one.  

 

It was interesting to watch the tearful goodbyes and how few of them were for Asaf of the great personality.  I had a sense that there was not a lot of love lost between Asaf and many of the cast, perhaps because he killed Marissa's chances (although I'd argue that Nigel actually did that).  I found Asaf to be an asshat - the necessity for the final moral/morale exhortation to the audience annoyed the fuck outta me.  And I can't really see how his stint on SYTYCD will enlarge his dancing future, although it should do his modelling career quite a bit of good.

[Thog]

Jim and Ariana's dance really moved me; I actually choked up when Jim literally kicked depression away in the end. But Nigel needs to shut up about things he apparently doesn't know much about. Telling Jim he must have been depressed at some point during all his surgeries was appalling, and stating that anyone who feels depressed should just get up and dance is ludicrous. Major depression is a debilitating physical illness, not some state of mind you can just dance away. Suggesting to depressed people that they are just not trying hard enough (or dancing enough) can send them into a tailspin of self-loathing. I know that exercise is a natural mood elevator, but that's not what this dance was about. Argh.

 

Nigel calling the pretty women "Baby" makes me cringe as much as Jason calling Neptune "my brother" (I didn't hear it this week, but he's done it twice before). Best not to show any semblance of bias in any direction.

 

I loved nearly every routine tonight, and it's getting to a point where I'd be sad to lose just about anybody.

[LadyMustang65]

And once again he was in the back row of both the opening number and the team street dance, which should tell you how the choreographers felt about him.

 

Except that he was brought forward a couple of times in both routines, so maybe it's just that he's the tallest of the street group.

[ari333]

Edson is hot.

Why did they dress Megz in what looked to me like a lumpy diaper?

Jason called JJ, "baby girl."

JaJa is Anna T, 2.0 in the face and hair to me too.  

I'm enjoying PauLER and would love to see her dance.

[LadyMustang65]

Telling Jim he must have been depressed at some point during all his surgeries was appalling, and stating that anyone who feels depressed should just get up and dance is ludicrous. Major depression is a debilitating physical illness, not some state of mind you can just dance away.

 

Can't believe I'm going to defend Nigel, but there is a difference between someone who is depressed about something that is happening in their lives and someone with clinical depression, which is indeed a physical illness.  Jim being depressed because of the surgeries that could have impacted his ability to do what he loves would be rather natural, and movement - whether it be dance, walking, swimming, playing sports - is a mood-elevator.  It never occurred to me, and I still don't think it was meant that way, that Nigel was saying that someone with clinical depression that requires medication could just dance away their pain.  You can be depressed but not suffer from depression.  My son, who does suffer from depression, also never thought Nigel was saying he should just get up and dance, and he'd feel better. 

[Primetimer]

A surprisingly strong group of dancers and choreographers makes for a tense elimination and some gorgeous dancing on So You Think You Can Dance.

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[ari333]

Jim and Ariana's dance really moved me; I actually choked up when Jim literally kicked depression away in the end. But Nigel needs to shut up about things he apparently doesn't know much about. Telling Jim he must have been depressed at some point during all his surgeries was appalling, and stating that anyone who feels depressed should just get up and dance is ludicrous. Major depression is a debilitating physical illness, not some state of mind you can just dance away. Suggesting to depressed people that they are just not trying hard enough (or dancing enough) can send them into a tailspin of self-loathing. I know that exercise is a natural mood elevator, but that's not what this dance was about. Argh.

 

Nigel calling the pretty women "Baby" makes me cringe as much as Jason calling Neptune "my brother" (I didn't hear it this week, but he's done it twice before). Best not to show any semblance of bias in any direction.

 

I loved nearly every routine tonight, and it's getting to a point where I'd be sad to lose just about anybody.

 

 

Yes, THIS! times 10! So glad you pointed this out.

 I was screaming at the TV for Nigel to shutty. Some people suffering with major depression can, at times, barely get out of bed., What an ASS. Exercise can help prevent depression etc, in some people, but it cannot alone cure it. Sweet Baby Jesus... Nigel makes me sick.

[St. Claire]

Gabby and Virgil's Broadway routine was my favorite last night, no question, but I liked all of the dances except Kate and Asaf's. Jim is just too cute with his intricate bubble bath routine- good for him for pampering himself! And I got a little choked up with the end of his dance, kicking depression out of the spotlight, but cringed at Nigel's remarks. I, and two of my children, fight depression and anxiety and while it's valuable (sometimes) to put on some music and dance it out, his statement illustrated one of my pet peeves- folks who don't understand the distinction between diagnosed depression and just feeling a bit down in the dumps. Most of the time, I just tell myself that people don't understand the distinction, but Nigel has had enough examples of his own delusions of grandeur that I wouldn't be surprised if he thinks I can stop taking my meds if I just moved more. 

Edited August 4, 2015 by St. Claire

[Wootini]

I don't know if the choreographers are stepping up their game or if it's just as we cut away the chaff, the remaining dancers are just better, but the routines in this episode were much more impressive. 

 

Except for Asaf, obviously.

 

That routine was really awful. Kate literally just danced around him for 90% of the routine, and pulled off his shirt because they know what makes him popular, and it's NOT his dancing. I actually tweeted a #SaveKATE when the time came because I didn't think it was fair that she should go home because she was saddled with Asaf as a partner. The show has clearly been trying to edit his packages to make him look better, but there wasn't a whole lot they could do with Kate expressing her intense concern to Travis that she just didn't feel safe having Asaf lift her in this routine. Hence, when they performed, there were only two "lifts" which weren't anything too dangerous. She was clearly struggling with him as a partner, and I'm glad he was finally sent packing before he could take anyone else down with him.

 

The group hip hop number did nothing for me, but I rather liked Travis' ghostly light routine. Unfortunately that was more because of the way he used the lights and the cameras as opposed to any actual choreography. Sorry, Travis!

 

I also cringed when Nigel called Jaja "Baby." I don't know if he meant it to be sexist or condescending, but either way… DUDE. Maybe he has that thing like Sofia on the Golden Girls where his brain can't self-censor the things he thinks before they come out of his mouth. ;)

 

And while Jaja is impressive with her dancing in other styles, I have to admit I think Megz has her beat. Also, because Megz is taller, her extensions (while still not perfect) are just going to look better.

 

I also totally get the Virgil/Fikshun comparisons, but for me, Virgil has him totally beat because I feel like Virgil's personality is much more genuine. I never bought into the Fikshun love the judges had every week. He was good, but personality-wise he always seemed to be trying too hard and I found it off-putting. Virgil is just completely adorable.

 

And yes. Edson is the hotness. Agreed.

Edited August 4, 2015 by Wootini

[laprin]

JJ is fading for me. I haven't found any of her performances memorable since the auditions.

I am starting to really like Ariana - hope she doesn't hit bottom next week because she doesn't deserve it.

Yoralis, hope the whole go-go dancer thing doesn't hurt you with certain voting groups.

Am I the only one that thought Travis seemed irritated about Derrick getting hurt? He is coming off a bit too competitive.

[Watt]

I think it's funny how people throw a fit when Nigel calls someone baby, but hardly anyone talks about Jason calling people Baby Girl and Love tonight.

[Alison]

I was so relieved to see Asaf go. He maybe did two full 8-counts of choreography, and I think Nigel's "You danced your Asaf" comment was because he knew he was in the bottom 3.

Edited August 4, 2015 by Alison

[Mertseger]

From last week:

 

GRUMPYPANDA, ON 28 JUL 2015 - 06:24 AM, SAID:

I officially hate the new format. I never thought I would say this but I miss the getting to know you segments. I feel like I don't knew anything about these dancers. Does Megz sleep with a pillow pet and hate mustard? Does Neptune collect angel figurines? Is Marissa afraid of clouds? Who hoards all the pickles in the house? I guess we'll never know.

 

Be careful for what you wish for, even ironically, eh? But that's the thing about highly focused individuals: they're often quite boring outside their area of expertise. I had a friend who went to UCLA during the '84 Olympics and went out for dinner with the US Men's Gymnastic team. He reports it was the dullest experience of his life.

 

Note to Brian: if you want to explore sexy in future routine's check out Leonardo's routine for JJ and Derek this week. Sexy is not putting your dancer's in high heels, having them wear skimpy vaguely fetish costumes, and choreographing HMV's on the floor. Sexy is a smoldering, intimate connection between individuals. Of course, it was a huge advantage for JJ to dance with Leonardo. But, OMG: how hot was that?

 

Speaking of hot, I've commented on this boards and TWOP s for all 12 seasons, and I've said both positive and negative things about Cat's styling, but I don't think I've ever addressed her footwear until this episode: Yowza. Sexy shoes, my dear! Of course, once again, it was her instant response to Nigel's "It's the first time a shirt has come off on this show for a good reason." comment which is why she has always and continues to deserve an Emmy.

 

I found it very hard to vote last night, and spread my votes much wider than I usually do. We're finally in the heart of the season, and it's shaping up to be a good one.

Edited August 4, 2015 by Mertseger

[kayma]

I think it's funny how people throw a fit when Nigel calls someone baby, but hardly anyone talks about Jason calling people Baby Girl and Love tonight.

For me, Nigel sounds so smarmy when he says. I can picture him loitering around backstage trying to hit on the women. Everything else Nigel says sounds pretentious, though.

I like Jason on this show. He seems to be a fan of the contestants and of dance.

Virgil (who I keep wanting to call Jarvis for some reason), JaJa, or Megz for the win. I wasn't even half paying attention, but did they keep saying team stage was "winning"? I would disagree.