S12.E12: Top 14 Perform + Elimination

[Tara Ariano]

The Top 14 dancers perform, but the field is diminished by a double elimination.

[Cuatro1234]

What's the format of the double elimination?  Bottom three, and a Twitter save of one?  Judge's save?  Anybody know?

[luvthepros]

Hear it from Travis Wall. He mentions the Twitter vote at 2:57...........

 

https://youtu.be/2IcJ4Jjcu4o

[Watt]

Kate just irritates the shit out of me. That's all for now.

Robert <3

Id have kept Alexia over Derek.

Edited August 11, 2015 by Watt

[mojoween]

I'm sad to lose Yorelis but I'm super glad Neptune was saved. I wish Yorelis had been safe and JJ in danger.

As long as Kate and her stank-face wasn't saved I was fine with either Derek or Alexia. Nigel tweeted to save Alexia and Neptune, for what that's worth.

I'm so glad Jason said what he did about Jaja and Edson's routine because it was exactly what I was thinking. I liked the fish dance better than that one. And if Jaja was supposed to be sexy? No.

I thought that Megz was supposed to be all into Derek in their dance? Because she was making all these faces like she actually hated him and was annoyed with his presence. She looked beautiful though.

[Andie1]

Yeah, I would have kept Alexia over Derek,  but glad Neptune gets another chance. 

[pally]

Nigel was tweeting to save Neptune and Alexia.  I would have preferred to see JJ in danger and not Yorellis but I'll guess she is in danger for next week.

Edited August 11, 2015 by pally

[allypenguin]

Thank god for Gaby and Neptune and Stacey Tookey because that show was not going too well up to that point. A lot of stinkers tonight. I love Neptune. I want him to win, so naturally he's in the bottom. I am so so happy he was saved though. Sad to lose Yorelis :(

 

Derek looked like the dorkiest Halloween-costume pimp ever. How the hell was he saved?

 

Sonya's group number was fantastic. But I looked away for a second and then Robert appeared? Who was he filling in for?

 

There are all stars next week right? Please give me the all stars. Tap quartet with Gaby, Aaron, Valerie and Zack please.

[stephelena]

Did Ariana ever get a hip hop routine after the meet and greet? Some of the other street got one at least twice! I would have liked to have seen her do one routine. Oh well... I think Jj should not have made top ten, but glad Neptune was able to stay.

[Koffee Kup]

Nigel also tweeted to save Kate.

 

 

 

Nigel Lythgoe OBE ‏@dizzyfeet  40m40 minutes ago
Kate is in danger. Tweet now

Edited August 11, 2015 by Koffee Kup

[mojoween]

Sonya's group number was fantastic. But I looked away for a second and then Robert appeared? Who was he filling in for?

Jim had been injured and couldn't rehearse the group routines so Robert filled in. I don't know if there was a fill in for the first group routine.

Oh what was that garbage about Virgil not having technique? Since when?

Edited August 11, 2015 by mojoween

[Quickbeam]

Wish JJ and Derek had left. I don't get either of them at all.

[dcalley]

A lot of stinkers tonight.

Yep!

 

Did Nigel call Ariana "Adriana"?

 

The trumpet/sax thing was funny, and thank you, Paula, for being on the ball.

 

I wanted to save Neptune and Yorelis. JJ should have gone instead.

[Andie1]

Oh what was that garbage about Virgil not having technique? Since when?

He wasn't very good at all on the contemporary. His extensions were bad, his technique not  great... He was "exposed" as Nigel says.  But he's still likeable.

 

The trumpet/sax thing was funny, and thank you, Paula, for being on the ball.

 

I thought it was a waste of time. Dave Scott the choreographer didn't care. Most people don't really care about a prop in a dance routine.  I'd prefer if Paula gave actual dance critique instead of bullshit.

Edited August 11, 2015 by Andie1

[allypenguin]

Jim had been injured and couldn't rehearse the group routines so Robert filled in. I don't know if there was a fill in for the first group routine.

Oh what was that garbage about Virgil not having technique? Since when?

 

Ohhh that makes sense. Thanks! :)

 

Yep!

 

Did Nigel call Ariana "Adriana"?

 

The trumpet/sax thing was funny, and thank you, Paula, for being on the ball.

 

I wanted to save Neptune and Yorelis. JJ should have gone instead.

 

JJ's so lucky she got to dance with Leonardo last week. It's really a shame, since Yorelis is so much stronger as a dancer.

[molshoop]

I really like Derek and thought he was great in that routine.  I'm glad to see I wasn't the only one.

[mrsmit7]

Sonya & Stacey saved tonight's show. Outside of their pieces where just varying degrees of clunkers.

New choreographers should be required to watch film on what kind of routines work on this show...bc a LOT of them have been stumbling this season including Misha Gabriel tonight. That would of been a cool piece to teach in class but just had no pop and lulled as a stage piece.

How had ariana been on this show for a month and nigel still doesn't know her name?

The clashing outfits really killed megz and dereks # for me. costuming is important guys

Who keeps saving derek? That's twice now with no routine & a subpar one...he must have some fans

[rollacoaster]

How much control do the dancers have over things like costuming, choreography, and props?  I caught on immediately that it was a saxophone in the song that Megz danced to, but the choreographer handed her a trumpet. What was she supposed to do? Neither Travis nor Twitch caught it.  What could she do about the tightness of her pants? 

 

Ok, enough rant, some thought on the dancing:

 

JJ and Kate's routine was cute and fun, but very light on content.  I think they did what they could with it.

 

Ariana and Alexia (I think) had the makings of a very cool routine.  I agree that they could have made it darker. I didn't have a problem with the smiles, they were portraying fish, for heaven's sake! And the smiles in that context can be pretty creepy. The male judges have been so weird about the women smiling this season. I didn't get where the judges were coming from with the critique of the girls not liking the routine.

 

Loving Paula! She offers constructive criticism like a BOSS.

 

Yay, Sonya!  Great opening group routine! And stage group routine.  

 

LOVED the creepy carnival group street dance!  I suspect that dark vibe is what the judges wanted in the fish burlesque routine.

[beeble]

Double elimination? WHY?? 

 

Stacy and Sonya made this worth watching but they didn't do the only good stuff. I may be the only one who liked Megz & Derek. And yes, it's a sax but no, the dancers don't get to choose their props.

 

The fish burlesque was weird, but I just thought of it as goofy seaside burlesque. 

 

Neptune and Gabby stole the evening, and Neptune's description of his daughter facing prejudice was really touching. It even made Nigel shut up.

[WhineandCheez]

Kate, really, that frilly, simple little dance with JJ was the worst thing for you?  Have you forgotten the dramatic weeping over being tossed around by Asaf like yesterday's lox?  She looks so phony all the time.

 

Again, I think JaJa is coasting in Overpraisedland.

 

Harsh on Alexia getting ousted  when she has been praised each week.  Where did that come from?

 

And because i will say it each week until someone agrees, or is as old as me, Megz w/o makeup = The Karate Kid.  Like exact twins.

[hula-la]

Watched the show with my bf, who doesn't dance, and has never watched the show. He had spot on comments about the dances and dancers. To paraphrase him " some of the dancers move from step to step, but the good ones dance in their transitions"--nice job! We agreed that Megz dance seemed off, and it was a no small part by of that costume. I'm thinking red satin, either as a skirt or tight pants, would have been more appropriate (and I really am not a fan of red satin).

[Pemyquid]

This was the lowest point so far in a very lackluster season, for me. Lots of damning with faint praise and criticizing dancers for stuff they weren't responsible for.

Costuming was way off on multiple routines. Jana should not have been wearing that jacket, and butch Megz should have been wearing something feminine if they wanted her to look girly. Neither of them were sexy, nor did they have any chemistry with their partners.

I think Paula wanted to say Megz wasn't sexy, but couldn't for fear of rousing the PC police. If they could tell Marissa she was too sexy in a number that screamed sex, they should be able to tell Jaja and Megz to move their fucking hips and flirt a little. Jesus.

And what in the actual fuck was up with that fish cabaret number? That was pure set up to fail, with those poor girls in those hideous costumes all alone on that huge stage with no props to provide either a cabaret or an aquatic atmosphere. Horrible concept - sexy fish? - laughable choreography. I can't think of anyone who could have made that work. The judges talked about making faces, but there were no close ups.

I can't recall a single thing Derek has done this season. I'm fairly sure I didn't know his name until last week, purely because he got injured. I'm not seeing what everyone else is apparently seeing in Megz. I would have kept Yorelis over Megz and Alexia over Derek.

On the plus side, it's nice to see that Sonia's choreography has moved away from black leather S&M bondage into beige Travis choreo territory. I think.

[TrudyC]

I've been a fan of Kate's since the start of the  top 20, but she lost me tonight. I try really hard not to focus too much on personality and overall likeability (probably not an actual word), but it got to me with her this evening. I still think she's great to watch in contemporary dance, but I wasn't sad when they said she was voted off.  

 

For some reason that even i don't understand, I like Derek. He's a strong dancer (in his style, at least), and he's endearing. I was shocked that he was saved, though, and I think it should have been Alexia. I'm really glad Neptune is sticking around for the top 10. 

 

Speaking of Neptune, I was glad (and surprised) that Nigel asked Neptune what that dance meant to him, without trying to put words in his mouth. That dance was one of my favorites of the night.

 

Phoenix and Pharside, circus folk, and Rob Zombie? Yes, please.

[dcalley]

I thought it was a waste of time. Dave Scott the choreographer didn't care. Most people don't really care about a prop in a dance routine.  I'd prefer if Paula gave actual dance critique instead of bullshit.

It was definitely a waste of time when Jason repeated it!

[Zuleikha]

Brian Friedman is pop jazz. I know there are differences between modern and jazz and that Brian Friedman incorporates some waacking/voguing elements into his pop jazz, but I still don't understand how his choreography isn't basically in Kate's wheelhouse. To me, it's like when the Latin Dancesport dancers have to do Standard/Smooth dances or salsa/Argentine tango. Yeah, it's not exactly what they train in, but it's close enough that it should still be comfortable and they should fake it well. I feel like for purposes of this show, a modern/contemporary dancer should be comfortable in pop jazz. Marissa totally should have been kept last week. 

 

I liked JJ in the number, though. It made me glad she's still here and reminded me why she was cast in the first place.

 

Fish burlesque jazz number made sense to me, and I get how the concept could work. I'm not a fan of burlesque jazz, though. Whenever I've seen it, it's too hard-edged and taking itself too seriously. I'm waiting for the day that I see a burlesque jazz choreography that pulls more from the burlesque side and gets the camp and wink and a smile part of burlesque.

[rollerblade]

Costuming was way off on multiple routines. Jana should not have been wearing that jacket, and butch Megz should have been wearing something feminine if they wanted her to look girly. Neither of them were sexy, nor did they have any chemistry with their partners.

 

I actually thought Megz look hot tonight, except the baggy pants. However, I thought the whole idea to dress her in that bright red is so all eyes are on her, and less eyes on awkward Derek.

[s-k-s]

So surprised to say I'm really liking the judging panel this year.  Jason has come a long way from the auditions and has really found his groove, and Paula is 1000 times more coherent and helpful than she ever was on Idol.

 

Mostly meh dancing - they seem to be alternating between good-great weeks and blah weeks, so I'm hoping next week's show will be great again.  Does anyone know if they are bringing in all-stars?  Otherwise they will be doing only 5 dances and 2 group routines, which seems a little thin for a 2-hour show.

 

Still loving the street girls, and sad to see two go this week.  Not that Neptune didn't deserved the save - I would have sent home JJ and then I have no idea who else from Team Street, but probably Ariana.  Ariana seemed like one of those cool, laid back, kind of introverted girls who just never really connected with the audience.  I think she knew she was a goner even before they put her in front of the fish-bus.   

 

Still not connecting with any of the stage crew except Gaby and maybe Jim.  

 

 Very happy to see Kate go - she came across as not very pleasant and more than a little entitled, and completely thrown off the second she got outside of her comfort zone.  I realize this can all be a trick of the editing, but she definitely didn't get a favorable one!    

 

[Edited - Spelling is important!]

Edited August 11, 2015 by s-k-s

[anniebird]

I have watched every moment of every season and I don't think I can take another contemporary routine. They're all angsty emotion and they're all starting to look alike - I just can't appreciate them anymore.

[DHDancer]

singularly uninspiring dancing and choreo.  EXCEPT Jim and he showed not only great technique but excellent competent partnering.  He made Yorellis look 100 times better than she was.   And was I the only person having visions of the ping pong lady from Priscilla Queen of the Desert when watching JJ?

 

Why are the girl pairs always doing skanky dances?

 

(adding) And enough with the zombie fixation.  I don't understand the popularity of all the stupid zombie TV shows, and I just don't get these same 'ol completely pointless dances.   And yeah, whoever said about the 18th C costume dances, they're getting too much too.

 

I think this season has to be the worst in terms of talent across the board (with 2-3 notable exceptions) and choreography is not the term for what's being presented as such.

 

The last couple of seasons have been hard: I think this is it for me and I'm very sad.  I love me good dancing....and this is too painful.

Edited August 11, 2015 by DHDancer

[Andie1]

 

Sonya & Stacey saved tonight's show. Outside of their pieces where just varying degrees of clunkers.

 

Seriously?  I thought Sonya group routine was just another warmed up version of what Travis gave us in previous weeks, and Stacey's routine was just yuck. I saw a lot of Cheesman African jazz movement and the spirtual hymn was kind of vomit inducing.  I don't appreciate being hit over the head with obviousness.   Glad Neptune was saved, but hell it would be so nice if for once it was about his dancing.

[Andie1]

I have watched every moment of every season and I don't think I can take another contemporary routine. They're all angsty emotion and they're all starting to look alike - I just can't appreciate them anymore.

 

I think some of the routines have been horrible, with the exception of Megz and Edson's routine last week. I am fed up with Stacey.   She has been into over wrought, overly sentimental crap ever since she got pregnant.  I long for the days when she gave us a real point of view, and an edge, like when she paired Billy Bell and Ade for Mad World.

Edited August 11, 2015 by Andie1

[PhD-Purgatory15]

Derek is why the twitter save is complete and utter b.s. I can't remember a single standout or better than just competent performance he's given.

Then he gets a pity injury save, and this week what? A pity "I'm one of worst trained male dancers to attempt hip hop on SYTYCD ever? He was so bad...they would have been better off working the segment where Megz stood and watched him as part of a "bad dancer who magically gets better character" storyline. Except he didn't get better and ended up hiding behind Megz for the best part of that routine.

Edited August 11, 2015 by PhD-Purgatory15

[Rick Kitchen]

What is it with all of these French 18th century costumes we get so often?

 

Cat's rainbow dress ... I can't even.

 

Wow, Jim and Yorelis were great.  Thanks, Sonya.

 

I liked Edson and Jaja's routine, the footwork was good, and there was some wacking.

 

Sexy fish? smdh

 

I liked the horn routine, but I thought it was odd to see Derek dancing and Megz standing still at the beginning.  Even if it's the wrong instrument...But, hey, Paula, don't blame the dancers, it was Dave Scott who gave them the horn.  And I totally agree with Paula about the standing still moment, that was awkward.

 

I didn't understand the ending of the Stacey Tookey piece.

 

What made that pinup routine jazz?

 

Sonya's group number was interesting.

 

Rob Zombie!

 

Aw, I liked Kate.

[Electruck]

Neptune creates chemistry or connection with every partner he gets. I'm so glad he was saved. I'm surprised he and Alexia were in bottom -- I rewatched the wall routine (and Gaby and Virgil) the most. Not sorry to see Kate go. I too would have preferred for J.J. to go over Yorelis, though I like her personality. Argh, I hate losing four at once!

I wish they'd stop having burlesque. I find it weird, perhaps because of the music? Is it better with bigger groups or solos? It's just... odd.

This was an unfortunate episode. But at least this time it seemed more because of the choreography and less dumbing down due to skills.

[GreyBunny]

Why are the girl pairs always doing skanky dances? 

Thank you.  They have two women dance together so they have to put them in hooker gear and make them skank around like strippers.  So disappointed.   That "sexy fish" dance was just stupid and the music sucked too.  I don't know what song that was but I hope I never hear it again.  Both girls knew that dance was a ridiculous hot mess and no amount of committing to the character or "faking it until you make it" would have saved it.  That disaster was the choreographer's fault.

 

I'm glad that Paula called out the saxophone but it was the choreographer's fault for being stupid and not supplying the right prop.

Edited August 11, 2015 by GreyBunny

[vibeology]

And what in the actual fuck was up with that fish cabaret number? That was pure set up to fail, with those poor girls in those hideous costumes all alone on that huge stage with no props to provide either a cabaret or an aquatic atmosphere. Horrible concept - sexy fish? - laughable choreography. I can't think of anyone who could have made that work. The judges talked about making faces, but there were no close ups.

That dance was a send you home dance if there ever was one and I'm sure both girls knew it at the first rehearsal. Not that anything would have made that a great dance, but every production choice was about making it worse. The costumes, the makeup, the lighting, the staging, the lack of closeups. The whole thing was a mess designed to send Alexia home over Derek.

Speaking of Neptune, I was glad (and surprised) that Nigel asked Neptune what that dance meant to him, without trying to put words in his mouth. That dance was one of my favorites of the night.

Yep. Every so often, Nigel does get it right. That dance was lovely because you could tell Neptune was really feeling it. I think choreography-wise, Stacey is in a real rut, but she got lucky because Neptune and Gaby really pulled this off.

Why are the girl pairs always doing skanky dances?

In this particular case, because the show wanted to make sure that no one voted to save the girls in the twitter vote. I see you show. They sent those girls under the bus to make sure they saved both guys in danger and got a balanced top ten. Nigel is no fool; he's seen the voting results of "sexy girl" dances before and he knew that by giving Alexia and Ariana and JJ and Kate those sexy numbers that neither stage girl would get that twitter save.(Although I doubt it would have mattered with Kate since she's been circling the drain since the beginning.) He completely set them up. Same with the street girls. Ariana was in that awful fish number, Yorelis went first so by the time the twitter vote happened, Neptune already had an advantage. I was going to be sad either way because I love both Neptune and Yorelis. I think JJ is far weaker, but of course the show already setup booting her with that pinup dance number so I doubt I'll be watching her for long.

I get that the show wanted even number a guys and girls going into the top ten, but the way to do that is to cast stronger guys not bus the women after the fact. If Team Street hadn't wasted two spots on Asaf and Burim, maybe men wouldn't have been endangered species going into tonight.

I've liked and defended Kate but that whining was over the top. She had to know that she was probably going home but still she complained about the dance style. Does she want to book work when this is over? Because that was Katy Perry backup dancer realness and Katy tours and treats her dancers well. Who wants to book her now knowing she finds it so hard?

Edited August 11, 2015 by vibeology

[OakGoblinFly]

This show - was not good.  I thought most of the dances/routines were pretty bad with a few being downright awful.

 

The only two routines I liked were the Gaby-Neptune routine and the Team Stage group routine -- I didn't even need to hear the choreographers talk about the dance - the quality of movement was enough to capture the feeling.

 

I'm glad that Jason had the guts to tell quite a few dancers that their performances were lacking - I also like he did it in a kind, helpful way (unlike Nigel's "dead fish on a slab" comment).  Paula, even though she got a little rambly at times, gave pretty decent feedback.  Nigel was Nigel - I know he is knowledgeable, I just wish he stop trying to be clever and/or going for a soundbite and just critique the work.

[kechara]

I liked Jim. I think Nigel's personality comment was off base. He seems like a really nice, friendly, humble, quiet kid Likeable And he can dance

[Carrots4]

Jaja and Edson as hip hop models? I wish they would have done it last week, just to see how an actual street dancer/model (Asaf) handled that routine.

 

I don't know why they even bothered with Hailee's costume. A thin layer of chiffon over clearly visible dance underwear. Ugh. It detracted from the dance for me.

 

I never would have guessed that Alexia was not a natural blonde. I can't see roots at all. I wish I had her colorist.

 

I like that Jim measures his Jim time in bath units. A bath and a half of Jim time this week, although I'm not sure how half a bath works. It was nice to see his parents in the audience, they seemed really proud of him. I'm guessing parents who come out have to pay their own way?

 

I wasn't a fan of the fish routine, but at least it's something different. It showed promise. I'm hoping the choreographers get a few more chances to figure the show out.

Edited August 11, 2015 by Carrots4

[Haleth]

Who keeps saving derek? That's twice now with no routine & a subpar one...he must have some fans

Yeah, I call shenanigans on this.  It's like the show has seen the guys getting eliminated left and right and now needs to hang on to anyone not named Jim.  I would rather have seen a double elimination of the stage dancers and kept Neptune AND Yorelis over Derek (who I just typoed "drek").  

 

Again, I think JaJa is coasting in Overpraisedland.

Yup.

 

Other than the dreadful fish dance and the clumsy Megz/Derek one (one sits while the other dances?) I thought the rest were moderately entertaining.  

[grumpypanda]

I've been a fan of Kate's since the start of the top 20, but she lost me tonight. I try really hard not to focus too much on personality and overall likeability (probably not an actual word), but it got to me with her this evening. I still think she's great to watch in contemporary dance, but I wasn't sad when they said she was voted off.

For some reason that even i don't understand, I like Derek. He's a strong dancer (in his style, at least), and he's endearing. I was shocked that he was saved, though, and I think it should have been Alexia. I'm really glad Neptune is sticking around for the top 10.

Speaking of Neptune, I was glad (and surprised) that Nigel asked Neptune what that dance meant to him, without trying to put words in his mouth. That dance was one of my favorites of the night.

Phoenix and Pharside, circus folk, and Rob Zombie? Yes, please.

I was coming here to say almost the exact same thing about Kate. I liked her until tonight and wasn't sad she left.

Now on to Derek, he really does seem like a nice kid but I can't get behind his save when he didn't even dance last week. I was really bummed that Alexia left over him.

I actually liked the concept of the fish dance but the girls seemed completely thrown by the vibe of the dance. I tend to like to kooky routines and was hoping it was going to be amazing. I'll take just about anything over another Stacy Tooky contemporary routine. I was so bored during her routine tonight.

Random thoughts, did Dave Scott have a Jerry Curl beard during rehearsals? Why the hell did they put Megz in red mom jeans? So happy that JaJa got knocked down a peg. She stunk in her routine tonight. In the hideous green costume, I thought Hailee looked like the jolly green giant next to Virgil. I think he's an amazing performer but his size is distracting sometimes. I liked the freak show dance. Virgil and Megz creeped me the fuck out.

Edited August 11, 2015 by grumpypanda

[molshoop]

I think Derek dances with joy and high energy.  And I think he has a likable personality that really

came through in the mini interview.  All of the judges panned his performance ( unfairly IMO), so

I don't see anything shady going on to keep him.

[Wootini]

As my husband said at the beginning of the show, that was a nice opening number, but there are some of us old enough to remember Madonna's "Vogue" performance at the MTV Music Awards. ;) (Those of you closer to my age will know exactly what I'm talking about with the costumes and the fan moves and such, everyone else, click here: https://youtu.be/lTaXtWWR16A?t=4m18s

 

After last week's upswing, we fell back down again this week. Although with the dud routines, it doesn't seem fair to ding the dancers when the real problem is with the choreography. I mean, yes, there are times when the dancers screw up, but if they dance it well, you can't complain about them when they're just doing as they're told. 

 

When Stacey was all "This is a routine about prejudice" I was like, well, even if this isn't any good, they're not going to slam it like they have all the other pieces because come on. And thankfully it was quite lovely to watch even if it was a big anvilly with the song and all. We get it. Also, yes, costuming was way off this week. Hailee's "dress" was an abomination.

 

Also bad were Derek and Jaja's cheesy gold jackets and Megz's extremely unsexy red pants. I really don't know what that was all about. (Although I've realized why I like Megz -- it's because she reminds me of Lori Petty in Tank Girl.)

 

I was a little freaked out about the double elimination going into the episode, but since I didn't mind the people who were sent packing, it was okay. Phew! Oh, and I also enjoyed the group hip hop number at the end. I knew once we got rid of the chaff on Team Street their group numbers would improve immeasurably! :D

Edited August 11, 2015 by Wootini

[Morgan of Hed]

I like how they are more open about the sexuality of the gay male dancers this season. I can't imagine season 1 Nigel tolerating some of those Q&As.

[poppy-]

Nigel used to always tell dancers to watch YouTube videos of Cyd Charisse and Gene Kelly to learn style, so I kind of loved hearing Jason tell Derek to 'watch footage' of hh dancers for the same reason.  It wasn't that the dancing was terrible, it was that his approach was so far off it wasn't easy to tell what the choreo was trying to do.

 

As my husband said at the beginning of the show, that was a nice opening number, but there are some of us old enough to remember Madonna's "Vogue" performance at the MTV Music Awards. ;) (Those of you closer to my age will know exactly what I'm talking about with the costumes and the fan moves and such)

 

I am absolutely sure Brian Friedman knows that routine by heart.  He would have been 13 when it came out.

 

I think Paula wanted to say Megz wasn't sexy, but couldn't for fear of rousing the PC police. If they could tell Marissa she was too sexy in a number that screamed sex, they should be able to tell Jaja and Megz to move their fucking hips and flirt a little. Jesus.

 

I don't think she was afraid of being un-PC, I think she was trying to not be cruel.  Telling a young dancer who just said "don't be fooled by the hair and clothes, I can be sexy" that she failed to be sexy is really harsh.  But going after the costuming wasn't helpful because that was completely out of Megz's control.

Also, I have watched every episode of every season, but this was the FIRST time my husband came out to watch.  Because: Rob Zombie.   His response?  "I get the twins and clown but why is there a gay wrestler?  Oh, look, bearded lady, that does make sense for Rob Zombie".

[Primetimer]

America has spoken, and it's not fond of the XX chromosome this week.

Read the story

[Skyler Durden]

Moment of truth here: I really, really liked the Fish number. Or at least, I liked what the fish number had the potential to be if it weren't the total shit-show we all just saw.

I would like to see some all-stars do it, but properly. Get Melanie up on that. Maybe pair her with Jenna. I WANT TO SEE THIS DONE BETTER, because I don't think it got the credit it deserved.

[TrueBlue]

Why are the girl pairs always doing skanky dances?

Thank you.  They have two women dance together so they have to put them in hooker gear and make them skank around like strippers.

And then they tell them they should've been more subtle.

[luvthepros]

There are all stars next week right? Please give me the all stars. Tap quartet with Gaby, Aaron, Valerie and Zack please.

Tap duet with either Zach or Jess LeProtto who can tap with the best of them.

... I think Jj should not have made top ten, but glad Neptune was able to stay.

I wish Yorelis was in Top 10 rather than JJ. Yorelis' movement is just so much more exciting to watch.

[beeble]

As my husband said at the beginning of the show, that was a nice opening number, but there are some of us old enough to remember Madonna's "Vogue" performance at the MTV Music Awards. ;) (Those of you closer to my age will know exactly what I'm talking about with the costumes and the fan moves and such, everyone else, click here: https://youtu.be/lTaXtWWR16A?t=4m18s

I was thinking about "Vogue" as well, but this didn't bug me. The song (can't remember the title) is several years old and the concept isn't completely original, but I somehow like the idea of decadent 17th century French aristocrats doing some sort of weird techno zombie dance. Maybe it could be contrasted with a dance of a German Martin Luther and his gang of feisty Protestants

 

It was time for Kate to go. I assumed she was out before the show even began. Hope she stays away from serial killers.

 

Here's the thing with the Fish Burlesque: they weren't ever supposed to be fish in the way that Wade Robson or Sonya would make the dancers actually become fish (It's the dance of the spawning salmon! Jump! Avoid the bear!). They were supposed to be sexy burlesque dancers wearing silly costumes that made one think of goofy fish. That's the point of burlesque: to be sexy and silly. And Alexia at least did her part. There was a weird mishap where she may have fallen off Ariana's back (it was awkward) but I'm not sure that either dancer got much direction.  Ballet dancer Eliana would have killed it, way back when, but she'd also trained as a pole dancer and could pull off something like this because she had a terrific sense of humor that translated well to the stage. Just think how awful this would have been had it been Megz and Jaja: two phenomenally wonderful dancers but not in a wiggly-sexy-pouty way.