S12.E12: Top 14 Perform + Elimination

[Aethera]

That burlesque jazz was horrible. Horrible choreography.  Always the dancers’ fault, too, which is unfair.

 

I can’t believe with the 2 female pairs they did a terrible burlesque and a weird pinup jazz thing that was not great either. Maybe give them something strong to do instead? Overall, the quality this week was much lower.

 

Hard choice on the Street side tonight, but I think Neptune deserved the save. I wasn’t in favor of Derek though. I understand he’s a good dancer in his style but he’s just made no impression on me this season. I would have saved either woman over him. I think Kate got a bad edit tonight because they knew she was going home, but I've liked her generally. Like many have said so far, I would have been fine with JJ being in the bottom instead of Yorelis.

[Mertseger]

Was Brian's choreography always about feeding the male gaze? I've watched since S1, but I honestly cannot remember. I think we've gotten less direct creepy smarm from Uncle Pervy in his commentary this year, but the new format has created a bit more opportunity for same-sex pieces (which is good!) However, the all female ones have definitely drifted into sexual exploitation. On the other hand, there is a thread of female empowerment in the modern burlesque movement. I think burlesque should have a place on the show, but should not the necessary portrayal of an affirmation of women's sexual agency fall more to the choreographers than dancers since the dancers may well be unfamiliar with the modern genre? Or should burlesque simply be tossed from the show because it's consistently not been able to get out of the mire of male-gaze and exploitation when it goes there? I like the broadest array of dance styles possible on our show, but the show is consistently sexist when it approaches such styles and themes. And it doesn't have to be. Simply consider Sonya's S8 piece for Melanie and Sasha. There's got to be a broad area of viable artistic exploration between Sonya's piece and sexy-fish and pin-ups, why can't the show explore that space?

 

Turning my hetero-cis-male gaze to Cat, I will say that I liked the dress, but would have liked to see her go full hippie chic with the styling. Maybe a garland?

Edited August 11, 2015 by Mertseger

[MrsMoltisanti]

 

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 remember that number from all those years ago as well, especially when the group held a moving pose and glided across the floor sideways.  My thoughts went to that number and I thought: Brian, are you paying homage or just hoping no one remembers?

 

I thought tonight was bad for the most part.  I have watched since season 1.   I remember getting so emotionally involved with the dancers and I don't anymore.  This group does nothing for me and it's not their fault.  It's the fault of the show and how they work it now.

[Kara]

I just started watching now, so I haven't read the thread, and can't comment on the dance yet, but I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, Cat's dress.  She looks adorable

[Zuleikha]

. On the other hand, there is a thread of female empowerment in the modern burlesque movement. I think burlesque should have a place on the show, but should not the necessary portrayal of an affirmation of women's sexual agency fall more to the choreographers than dancers since the dancers may well be unfamiliar with the modern genre?

What was on the show has zero connection to the modern burlesque movement. It was burlesque jazz, which is NOT the same thing as actual burlesque. Burlesque jazz is a marketing term for jazz dancers and choreographers to signal that their pieces will have a less clothed/sexier vibe. Burlesque involves striptease. It doesn't have to be down to pasties or even to bra/bottoms, but there have to be removals. Personally, I do not think actual burlesque has a place on the show.

I thought the burlesque jazz number had interesting choreography, so I'm surprised to see it so panned. But think it was like the femme fatale number in that it needed more mature dancers than the show was likely to have. To me, that piece read clearly as dark cabaret, not smiley or goofy. I think the sexy fish were supposed to be genuinely sexy, but also a bit creepy and dangerous. As the song continues, they deteriorate into being more washed up/upset. I would have characterized it as being siren like in the beginning and then sirens who are losing their prey and terrified.

It has annoyed me for YEARS that the female-female numbers are so often either about being sexy or about being cutesy. Sonya Tayeh was the best gift for all female numbers because she lets her female dancers be powerful or complicated.

[realdancemom]

I didn't care which of the stage dancers left.  Alexia danced too young and like a competition dancer.  Kate and Derek can only do contemporary.  I knew the street elimination would not be fun.  I also wished that it was JJ instead of Yorelis.  I also like Ariana but I knew that she was leaving since she was always at the bottom.  Even from the top 20 show, JJ was the weakest female street dancer IMHO.  She's not as versatile as those that are cross-trained like Yorelis and Ariana.  But I don't think she's as good with the street styles like Lily or Jaja either.

 

I agree with everyone that last night's show was a disappointment since last week was entertaining except for Kate & Asaf's dance.  Also, the two female pair dances from last week were not sexy dances.  I don't think there's anything wrong with those type of dances but you do need dancers that can pull them off.  I jinxed Alexia last week.  I said that she was cross-trained and could do each genre well except if it was a really different style like Bollywood.  So they give her a fish burlesque.  I knew she was doomed when they mentioned burlesque because she was already uncomfortable with Brian Freedman's jazz dance in the Meet The Top 20 show.  Then she choreographers came up with the concept of fish burlesque and you could tell that both of them felt very uncomfortable.  I agree with those that said the production was all wrong.  While watching it, I could see the potential.  It had a creepy but sexy vibe to it.  I thought of Rocky Horror Picture Show.  From this season, maybe Hailee and Yorelis could have pulled it off.  Maybe, Gaby could too.  I don't know.  I definitely can see Eliana doing it which somebody mentioned in an earlier post.

 

I know this was unintentional but I think Dave Scott's piece could have worked as a humorous piece.  Derek looked like such a nerd when he was hip-hopping that it actually made me laugh.  Also, Megz wasn't acting sexy.  The faces that she was making also matched a more funny piece than a sexy one.  Paula mentioned that it should have been a sax instead of a trumpet.  But wouldn't a sax be too heavy to dance with?  I also don't understand why Dave had Megz stand for so long when she's the better hip-hop dancer.

 

I don't really remember that much about the other dances except that Jim has incredible technique.  I love watching him dance.  Neptune really puts a lot of emotion in his dance which makes him more fun to watch than somebody like Derek.  This is when somebody that can sell a performance (Neptune) beats somebody with better technique (Derek).  This is also the reason why I think Edson and Megz were not in the bottom this week since they had that great contemporary piece last week.  It was the first time I liked Edson.

Edited August 11, 2015 by realdancemom

[luvthepros]

Huge void in this week's episode with the absence of Ballroom. Enough with the contemporary already. They are all looking the same to me. Same with the Hip Hop. This show needs more diversity with the dance genres. Shake it up a bit.

[luvthepros]

....... Why the hell did they put Megz in red mom jeans? ......

I may be all wrong about this but......from what I've seen of Megz, she does not have a young rockin' body like the other girls. Her body seems kind of dowdy. I really noticed this a couple of weeks ago when she looked like she was costumed in grandma panties that sort of resembled a diaper.

[Mason]

I also don't understand why Dave had Megz stand for so long when she's the better hip-hop dancer..

 

I think Dave was giving Derek a moment in the sun, since he wasn't able to dance last week.

[allypenguin]

Huge void in this week's episode with the absence of Ballroom. Enough with the contemporary already. They are all looking the same to me. Same with the Hip Hop. This show needs more diversity with the dance genres. Shake it up a bit.

Totally agree. I guess Denys was right when he said he didn't want to do the show because of it.

[Lila82]

There were a lot of problems with Megz/Derek's routine, the biggest of which was that I forgot he was there.  

 

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 was *shocked* the routine wasn't set to M83 to complete the "homage".  And I LOVE M83.  If I wasn't so lazy, I'd make a comp reel of all Stacey Tookey's contemporary routines to help cure my insomnia.

 

Huge void in this week's episode with the absence of Ballroom. Enough with the contemporary already. They are all looking the same to me. Same with the Hip Hop. This show needs more diversity with the dance genres. Shake it up a bit.

 

It's not even an absence of ballroom.  The season four finale was decided by a Trepak.  A dancer auditioned a few seasons ago with a Mongolian bowl dance.  There are so many forms of dance outside jazz/"hip-hop"/contemporary/ballroom.  I'd love to see the dancers tackle a hora  - the grapevine is harder than it looks.

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

 

Your Fish Is On My List Of The Worst Things In Life / America has spoken, and it's not fond of the XX chromosome this week.

[Cuatro1234]

For some reason my quote function isn't working, but the "anvilly" (love that new word, thanks!) portion of Stacy Tookey's dance including having Gaby's dress half black, half white.  GET IT??  No, really, do you get it??  LOL

 

While happy to see Neptune stay (but also would have rather see Yorelis stay and JJ go), I thought it was weird that the two males stayed and ALL the girls got dumped.  I don't know if it was shenanigans or vote-splitting somehow.

 

The fish piece needed an interesting backdrop/set pieces (put some coral on that padded wall from last week, for heaven's sake!), and it could maybe have worked.  There was something there.

[awaken]

What I find hilariously sad is when the dancers who are in the bottom 6 have on ridiculous costumes from their previous performance, and have to stand there and get eliminated wearing that!  Like the circus women with the tall hair and blood tears on their faces.  And Asaf when he had on that V-necked and -backed mini dress.  I thought it would have been a riot if Virgil was in the bottom 6 wearing that full-on clown costume!  

 

The burlesque fish were embarrassing.  That appeared to reek of misery.  Those girls wanted to be anywhere but there, doing that. Then I felt bad for them having to stand up there taking criticism with those painted on fish lips :(   The betty boop pinup girl routine was pretty embarrassing and juvenile as well.  

 

I agree, Kate has an odd, fake smile, sort of like a poor-man's Giada Laurentis.  Like she's prominently putting her front teeth on display rather than just smiling normally.  

 

I love everything Jaja does, so my eyes are riveted whenever she's onstage.  Also love Neptune and anything he does.

 

The contemporary routines are so boring to me.  They all seem the same regardless of the "story" or choreographer, and I have difficulty paying attention.  For me it's Team Street all the way!  (Except for Jim, he can stay!)

[Rahul]

What a disappointing episode. Once again I found the group hip hop routine to be very underwhelming.

 

I'm not entirely convinced with the Twitter voting results weren't manipulated to keep the two men in hopes of evening out the male to female ratio. I would have been okay with either Yorelis or Neptune being saved on team street, but Derek? Really? His save stung all that much more after that travesty of a performance with Megz. However, I thought Megz was quite strong in that piece, despite whatever costuming and prop flaws the piece may have had.

 

I've noticed that Nigel has bashed Brian Friedman's choreography for the past two or three shows where he's done a number for the show. He did not have kind words for that over-the-top sexy trio in heels with Marissa, Hailee and Alexia (was it?) and he didn't like the sailor pin up with JJ and Alexia either. I actually had the same exact thought that he voiced about the choreography being something you'd see backup dancers at a pop star concert.

 

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

 

You can thank Brian Friedman for that. He's all about playing dress up in sexy woman's clothing and strutting his stuff to 90s dance hits.

 

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.

 

I wish the judges had slammed the routine. That number did nothing for me, but the music alone was a major turn off. Sometimes the only enjoyment I get out of these overwrought contemporary numbers is when they're slammed in judging.

 

I must be even more of an oddball though because I thought the fish burlesque choreography was really interesting, and I even liked the song. It was a shame it was so poorly executed with multiple gaffes and dancers who couldn't sell it.

[Duke Silver]

I'm surprised Derek has so much Twitter support.  I get that there aren't many charismatic characters this year, but Derek is a complete non-entity to me & everyone I know IRL.  Whatevs.

 

The show was pretty mehh this week.

[Pallida]

I liked the concept and much of the choreography for the fish piece, but the execution just didn't work. I'd like to see drag queen (and dancer) Alyssa Edwards do the routine.

[Zuleikha]

I'm surprised Derek has so much Twitter support.  I get that there aren't many charismatic characters this year, but Derek is a complete non-entity to me & everyone I know IRL.

I seriously have no idea what he's done other than being injured last week and the bad hip-hop with Megz. Who is he? Why is he being saved? And why couldn't there be some magic way that he left and Yorelis was saved?

 

 

 

I'd like to see drag queen (and dancer) Alyssa Edwards do the routine.

Yes, mama!

Edited August 12, 2015 by Zuleikha

[tripsy]

    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.

 

The first few seconds of the fish routine really made me stand up and take notice.  It had the potential to be really interesting and different, which is something this show badly needs, but the execution was just awful.  Both girls looked awkward and uncomfortable, the antithesis of sexy or burlesque.  Ballet dancer Eliana definitely has the legs and dance moves and would have done the number justice, but I think this really called for someone with a slightly darker or edgier sexiness.  You know who would have really killed this number?  Ballroom dancer Iveta.  Remember her

?  This would have been right up her alley.   Come to think about it, the other dancer whose sexuality would have also been perfect for this number was also a ballroom dancer - Lacey from season 3.

 

Sigh.  Can you tell that I yearn from a break from the technically proficient but paint (or in this case dance) by the numbers stage girls?

 

My favorite is still Yaya, even if the show for some reason keeps giving her soft, watered down hip-hop numbers instead of allowing her to show off her specialty with real hard-hitting stuff.

Edited August 12, 2015 by tripsy

[DHDancer]

<removed as it added zip to the discussion>

Edited August 12, 2015 by DHDancer

[pamplemousse]

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?

Oh, please, Kate doesn't need some lowly plebian hack like Katy Perry! After all, Kate is a real artiste, she does Martha Graham school of technique! And she has annoying-as-f, pretentious blowhard Travis and his dance company. Hey, Kate, Isadora Duncan called, she's still dead and still wouldn't hire your whiny, snotty, bratty ass. Unsurprised Nigel tweeted to save her, since he's an even bigger annoying-as-f, pretentious blowhard than Travis, although give Travis a couple of years. Last week Kate was a saint for putting up with vile-beyond-belief Asaf, this week her true colors are revealed? Whatever, she's been a black hole of average studio technique and otherwise major suck since the beginning, she's made it this far due to the circle jerk this show always holds for Travis Wall and his friends/dancers.

 

Opening routine was a dopey Rococo mish mash of Madonna's Vogue performance from way back when and a far better group routine many seasons ago on Russia's version of SYTYCD involving Robyn's acoustic version of Indestructible and mirrors.

 

Sonya still sucks. Ending group routine was the kind of bland cheesy overwroughtness that Travis Wall usually does. IMO she's one of the most overrated choreographers ever. I haven't liked a single dance she's done for the show, not even the Garden (I love Mark, one of my favorite contestants of all time, and I like Courtiney, but I do not get why so many people love that dance, I just remember a lot of weird empty flouncing about with fingers held under their noses as though to mime a moustache or twiddling of invisible moustaches, stupid as hell).

 

Wasn't the show supposed to be so much better when the dead weight was gone? This episode managed to be both a snoozefest and a crapfest.

Edited August 12, 2015 by pamplemousse

[WhineandCheez]

I'd like to see drag queen (and dancer) Alyssa Edwards do the routine.

 

WERK!!!

 

I'd like to know how the costumers so superbly costume the group numbers, in particular the period/zombie/circus pieces, and fail so spectacularly on the duos?  How was a cheap gold lame tux jacket supposed to be what a supermodel wears?  And Megz antisexy sexy outfit?  Haille's dance diaper?  Bad all around.  I mean, for the Louis 14 piece they found yummy Victorian half boots in lavender and mint!  I want!

Edited August 12, 2015 by WhineandCheez

[ToxicUnicorn]

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

 

I think Kate was in over her head.  She gave her strongest performances at the beginning of the season, and went down from there.  Growing confidence issues, maybe?  JJ just wiped the floor with her in their pin-up number.  Anyway, Kate did not seem ready nor did she earn a place on the tour, in my opinion.  Good call. 

 

Sad to lose Yorelis :(

 

I guess I could've quoted this all day.  Me too.  Yorelis has been far stronger and more memorable than Neptune.  Neptune did really well this week with Gaby in the contemporary, though; I was impressed.   I hope Yorelis gets lots and lots of work after this.  As she was dancing with Jim this week, I thought - now there's a jazz worthy of a tour.  (Also thought she was stunning in her blue costume - theirs was the most aesthetically pleasing number of the night.) 

the "anvilly" (love that new word, thanks!) portion of Stacy Tookey's dance including having Gaby's dress half black, half white.  GET IT??  No, really, do you get it??  LOL

 

That's true!  Ha ha ha, plop.  (I'm laughing my head off.)

 

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.

 

I respectfully disagree.  I've been loving the choreography, and I thought the MG routine could've been great.  I think the dancers have been stumbling more than usual this season.  I also really, really liked the fish routine and agree with those who say the problem was poor execution.  I also partly agreed with Nigel, except I think he condemned Alexia unfairly.  It was Ariana who smiled awkwardly throughout the piece.  Alexia might have started that way, but about half way through, I noticed she had corrected herself and was really trying to give good face.  That was the first burlesque routine I've ever halfway enjoyed.  Great suggestion to have had Jenna do it.  I'd also be fine with seeing little Courtney.  She could always handle the dark.

 

It would have been a tough choice for me this week on the stage side between Alexia and Marissa, had Kate gone last week.  I wish Alexia and Marissa and Moises were in the Top 10 and Kate, Edson, and Derek were gone.

 

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.

 

Ok, WhineandCheez, I agree.  (And I thought you got it right weeks ago.)  I've been liking Megz a lot until this week.  It's ok.  I think she's got a lot more in her and she just didn't get the character this week.  Again with the over-staying in character after the Team Street routine, though.

 

re: trumpet vs. saxophone

 

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.

 

Song choice, theme, costuming, lighting, and choreography is ok but making a comment about the appropriateness of a prop isn't?  Especially when it relates to the music?  I thought Paula rocked her comments all night.  Also, she was dressed head to toe in hot pink.  Who does that?  I am loving Paula this season.

 

 

I didn't even need to hear the choreographers talk about the dance - the quality of movement was enough to capture the feeling.

 

Yes, there were a few times last night when I thought it would have been better not hearing the choreographers talk because their stories weren't coming through.  Especially the Megz one.  I thought she didn't get it at all.

[Hana Chan]

Can someone please advise the costumers that if they are going to stick a black dancer in a flesh-toned body stocking to make it a brown body stocking so that don't look like some kind of weird bobblehead. It's not as if they've never dressed black dancers before.

 

I have never been so underwhelmed by choreography on this show. Even Sonja (the group number) was less than thrilling. And the less said about the fish burlesque performance, the better because there was no dancer that would have saved that. There is absolutely nothing positive that one can claim about that dance, including the awkward, completely unsexy choreography.

Edited August 12, 2015 by Hana Chan

[Hana Chan]

I'm not entirely convinced with the Twitter voting results weren't manipulated to keep the two men in hopes of evening out the male to female ratio. I would have been okay with either Yorelis or Neptune being saved on team street, but Derek? Really?

 

This week really highlights the problem with eliminating an equal number of dancers from each team, because we're losing really good street dancers while keeping stage dancers that, so far, have not really distinguished themselves. I totally agree that Derek should not have gotten the save, but for Yorelis (who more than deserved to stay) and not one of the stage girls.

 

I was at first glad that the concept was going to give us a good number of strong, female street dancers when we usually get one (at best) per season. But we've lost so many of them now that it really seems like a wasted opportunity. There were a lot of concerns that good street dancers would be eliminated while weaker stage dancers survived and that is exactly what we got. I would much rather have seen dancers eliminated regardless of what team they were on per week. If that meant that Travis lost two dancers, then so be it. But then the deserving dancers (whatever genre they performed in) would have a better chance of staying.

[luvthepros]

Totally agree. I guess Denys was right when he said he didn't want to do the show because of it.

This show is all about challenging yourself with dance genres out of your comfort zone. I really wish Denys had competed because he seems like he would have been great at everything he attempted.

[Cuatro1234]

I actually support having the eliminations between Stage and Street be equal, but it would be interesting to know the actual numbers and see who would've gone home each week if it were just the 2 lowest-scoring dancers. Because Stage got more votes than Street up to now. So would we have lost more Street dancers? Or were just a couple of the Stage dancers (Jim? Who else?) getting the lion's share of the Stsge votes, so the 2 lowest-scoring dancers could still have been Stage?

[realdancemom]

The tour usually has two to four alternates.  Yorelis is definitely going because they are going to want Jim/Yorelis' duet on tour.  I wished she did this duet last week.  Then maybe, she probably wouldn't be at the bottom this week.  Although, I think she did great with Christopher Scott's routine but this routine showed her versatility.

 

I also think that this show will boost her dance career.  She's gorgeous and I can see her doing a lot of commercial work or as a backup dancer. 

 

About Derek, he went to the same dance studio as Ricky from last season.  He even lived with Victor (from Season 6) and the other co-owner, Angel, for awhile.  So I'm sure the studio dancers/parents are voting for him.  He probably met a lot of people on the competition circuit.  Last week, Maddie from Dance Moms tweeted to vote for him.  That's probably why he won last week even though he did not dance.  I don't know if she did the same this week.  Also, he lives on the East Coast.  Alexia is from Utah (West Coast).  I know the Dance Club has been supporting her but that doesn't mean that all the dancers are necessarily keeping track of when to vote.  By the time the show appears in Utah, the twitter vote is over.

Edited August 12, 2015 by realdancemom

[Cuatro1234]

Ooh such a good point about west coast voting affecting Alexia. It would be so hard for someone with a job to be available and vote at the right time on a Monday. But the Afterbuzz show did say that Derek's fan base numbers (don't know where they got those--Twitter followers?) was a good bit larger than either Alexia's or Kate's fan base. OTOH, they also said that Yorelis's fan base was larger than Neptune's, but not by as large a margin.

Ooh such a good point about west coast voting affecting Alexia. It would be so hard for someone with a job to be available and vote at the right time on a Monday. But the Afterbuzz show did say that Derek's fan base numbers (don't know where they got those--Twitter followers?) was a good bit larger than either Alexia's or Kate's fan base. OTOH, they also said that Yorelis's fan base was larger than Neptune's, but not by as large a margin.

[Morgan of Hed]

This show is all about challenging yourself with dance genres out of your comfort zone. I really wish Denys had competed because he seems like he would have been great at everything he attempted.

He was great on the Canadian show, however his personality came off as a bit stand-offish.  Still won, though.  However I think he would be greatly handicapped by never getting a chance to show off his ballroom skills.  All the current dancers get something in their wheelhouse pretty much every other week, except Gaby and she's cross-trained to hell and back.

[Anothermi]

Wasn't Misha Gabriel the poor sod who had to act as interpreter for Bieber last season? (sorry for bringing up this painful, almost forgotten history)

 

If so, he did choreography for the Beebs, but I remember him having to take over the dance crew segments because Beebs was useless.  If Misha is that guy, I feel like cutting him a lot of slack. Especially after clicking on the link provided up thread with Ivan K and him (and another guy) doing Misha's choreography. I liked his work, and I feel he earned his choreographer spot on the show by his heroic babysitting of the  Beebs last season (betting that useless addition was another Fox stipulated requirement for getting renewed.) ;-D 

 

Judging by Jason's reaction, Misha won't get hired by him, but then I don't think Jason could do Misha's choreography justice, so there's that. I'm with Paula on this routine.

[realdancemom]

Wasn't Misha Gabriel the poor sod who had to act as interpreter for Bieber last season? (sorry for bringing up this painful, almost forgotten history)

 

If so, he did choreography for the Beebs, but I remember him having to take over the dance crew segments because Beebs was useless.  If Misha is that guy, I feel like cutting him a lot of slack. Especially after clicking on the link provided up thread with Ivan K and him (and another guy) doing Misha's choreography. I liked his work, and I feel he earned his choreographer spot on the show by his heroic babysitting of the  Beebs last season (betting that useless addition was another Fox stipulated requirement for getting renewed.) ;-D 

 

Judging by Jason's reaction, Misha won't get hired by him, but then I don't think Jason could do Misha's choreography justice, so there's that. I'm with Paula on this routine.

I could agree that Jaja and Edson didn't look like Misha or Ivan.  However, I thought the routine looked fun.  They made it look jazzy which is o.k. with me.  Also, Edson looked like he was having fun and loosened up so that's an improvement from when he first started on the show.

[Anothermi]

I could agree that Jaja and Edson didn't look like Misha or Ivan.  However, I thought the routine looked fun.  They made it look jazzy which is o.k. with me.  Also, Edson looked like he was having fun and loosened up so that's an improvement from when he first started on the show.

 

Yeah. I don't know what Jason and Nigel were expecting. I thought they both did well and agree with Paula that I saw House elements in the routine. I'm not 100% sure that Misha was even going for his usual style. I like what he said in the interview I posted in the Media thread - maybe next time Jason and Nigel will understand this new (to them, I thought he meant) style more and appreciate it better. Hee!

Edited August 12, 2015 by Anothermi

[KLovestoShop]

It's painfully obvious that this show is going for a specific demographic, but I don't see that as a plus. I fully admit that I'm NOT the demographic they covet, but I'm probably the group that would watch this show. Like others, street dancing, hip hop or whatever it's called, looks the same, regardless of the routine. It's all bouncing around, with specific herky jerky motions. And, to me, it looks like they even want to turn ballroom into street dancing. I'm just not liking this season.

[Zuleikha]

I thought they both did well and agree with Paula that I saw House elements in the routine.

I thought Jaja danced fine and Edson looked like he was having fun. I think the costumers let them both down, though, if the concept was supposed to be models. Those outfits looked more 50s doo-w** band. Very strange choice for model outfits. Looking at the Misha video, I kind of see where the costumers were coming from though just for outfitting dancers doing that choreography. It seems that dancers doing that style of smooth hip-hop often get costumed in loose jackets/pant style outfit, and the gold lame was a way of making it flashier for stage. But it just didn't work well.

 

I generally skip rehearsal footage, so I didn't hear the explanation for Megz/Derek's routine. But it seemed to me that since Megz was the performer, Derek should have been the sexy one captivating her with his dancing. Why did Megz need to be sexy? I didn't think she was particularly sexy in that routine or that outfit, but I thought she danced well (Derek, not so much!).

 

ETA: Anothermi, yes, that is so much more what I saw, watching the routine without the rehearsal footage.  

Edited August 13, 2015 by Zuleikha

[Anothermi]

In one of the after show press interviews, Megz said Dave Scott told them to be themselves and not to give up but keep after it until they make it work for themselves. I think they made something different out of the "story" that worked for them, but because TPTB are so insistent that we have to be spoon fed a story before we see the dance, their version didn't have a chance because it wasn't the story the audience was told to look for.

 

With out that pre-dance misleading, I'll bet a lot of people would have gotten 1) a rowdy guy wants to come up on the stage when a woman is performing 2) she lets him come up and show his stuff 3) they have a mini dance off and the woman wipes the floor with him and finally 4) she gives him the brush off.

 

It was kind of fun seeing it that way and I loved that she got rid of Derek by first putting his hat on and then tossing it behind her. There was a lot of humor in their version and I think Dave Scott would approve.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

What the hell was with the costumes this week? I mean, they have been pretty consistently bad this season but almost every dance this week had terrible costumes. Jaja's gold lamé costume looked like something that the kiddie tap dance class would wear while doing a routine set to an Elvis song. The pinup costumes were straight out of the Sexy Adult Halloween Costume section. Poor Megz had that unflattering red and black outfit.

 

My other issue with costumes is that yes, they should enhance the performance, but on the other hand the dance should not rely on the costumes to tell the story. If you took away the costumes for the opening group number, the pinup dance, or the group hip hop routine, what would you have?

 

ITA that the opening number was an homage (if we're putting it nicely) to Madonna's performance.

 

The most inadvertently hilarious thing in this episode was Travis going on and on in a totally serious tone about how he didn't buy Alexia as a fish.

 

Kate's "I'm used to doing Martha Graham contractions and going on my own count" came in a close second though.

 

I know this will sound mean, but I'm relieved that Ariana is finally gone. When you're in the bottom every freaking week, it's time to go. Bummed about Yoralis though.

[kingshearte]

First and foremost: sexy fish burlesque? WTF. I too enjoyed watching Travis try to keep a straight face while he encouraged Alexia to "be the sexy fish," though. Maybe that dance could be saved by being danced by people who just embraced the camp and went with it, but I'm really not sure. And I also like to see as much variety of dance styles on this show as possible, but I'm still not sure that burlesque (or this weird "burlesque jazz") is the right fit.

 

I really liked Jim & Yorelis' piece, and I was surprisingly into Sonya's group piece, despite the overwrought backstory. Not much else did much for me, though. I do like Jaja, but she and Edson had no swagger in that piece. They were smiley and having fun and all, but I felt like there was not enough attitude to convey what was supposed to be conveyed (at least, according to what we were told). The pinup piece did look like Katy Perry should be involved, and I actually liked JJ in it, but overall, it wasn't really sassy enough. And I'm a bit of a Kate apologist (I had no problems with her trust issues last week), but yeah, the comment about Martha Graham contractions and... not counting? How on earth do you make it anywhere as a dancer (how do you even make it this far in this competition?) if you're not counting? WTH? And on a purely superficial note, I agree with Paula, that those pants did Megz no favours. Those pants could not do anyone favours. They were awful.

 

And the Derek save? I don't get it. He's fine and everything, but the only reason I have any idea who he is is because I forgot there even was anyone named Derek every week for the first several weeks. And they'd say his name, and I'd be all "There's a Derek on this show?" And then eventually it stuck, but he himself still makes no real impression on me.

[Nonlinear]

Megz Pants reminded me of "I'm 50! 50 years old!" from vintage SNL.

[realdancemom]

In one of the after show press interviews, Megz said Dave Scott told them to be themselves and not to give up but keep after it until they make it work for themselves. I think they made something different out of the "story" that worked for them, but because TPTB are so insistent that we have to be spoon fed a story before we see the dance, their version didn't have a chance because it wasn't the story the audience was told to look for.

 

With out that pre-dance misleading, I'll bet a lot of people would have gotten 1) a rowdy guy wants to come up on the stage when a woman is performing 2) she lets him come up and show his stuff 3) they have a mini dance off and the woman wipes the floor with him and finally 4) she gives him the brush off.

 

It was kind of fun seeing it that way and I loved that she got rid of Derek by first putting his hat on and then tossing it behind her. There was a lot of humor in their version and I think Dave Scott would approve.

Thank you for mentioning this.  Two days ago, I mentioned that this piece would work more as a humorous piece rather than what it was supposed to be.  I thought it was unintentional but after you wrote your post, maybe they did decide to do a funny version instead.  Derek was making me laugh because he just looked like a nerd trying to do hip-hop.  Instead of looking sexy, Megz gave him a WTH expression and then looked like she went right along with his dancing.  She made other funny expressions while looking at him.  None of them were sexy glances.  I like the end when she tossed his hat.

 

This is why I wished that dances didn't need a story.  Then the judges wouldn't need to say anything about Megz's pants or not portraying their parts.  It still showed that Derek couldn't do hip-hop.  But at least, he committed to the dance and he made me laugh. 

Edited August 13, 2015 by realdancemom

[crowceilidh]

Nigel tweets to save all of the people in the bottom, so that the West Coast knows who to tweet for during the actual air time.  That's why, when he misspelled some poor sod's name (I no longer remember whose) two shows ago, I put on my tinfoil hat.  Did someone count the misspelled tweets that week?

[desertflower]

The music really has an impact on the routines (to me, anyway) and that fish song was so awful it was actually making me angry. I'm not saying the routine would've been that much better with different music, but that song just compounded my dislike for the whole routine.

On the other end of the spectrum, a great piece of music can really compliment and elevate the routine. I'm thinking specifically of Alex and Allison dancing to the beautiful Jeff Buckley version of Hallelujah a few years back. They were amazing dancers to begin with, and that version of the song just made it even more breathtaking.

[Zuleikha]

Maybe that dance could be saved by being danced by people who just embraced the camp and went with it, but I'm really not sure.

 

I think of the dancers who have been on the show Courtney, Ellenore, and Jenna are the only ones who I think could have nailed the characterization for the dance... Mark, if the show let him (and I don't mean in drag... there's nothing in the dance that needs to be gendered). I think Lacey, Anya, Jordan, Jessica, and maybe Tanisha and Hailee could have made the dance sexy, but I'm not sure if they would have gotten the decay and decline aspect, much less successfully conveyed it. But  I think any dancers who were less visibly uncomfortable would have made it better. 

 

And I also like to see as much variety of dance styles on this show as possible, but I'm still not sure that burlesque (or this weird "burlesque jazz") is the right fit.

I'm quite certain that burlesque isn't because I don't think dancers (and let's be real... it would probably only be the female dancers) should be made to do striptease if that's not their thing, but I don't see how the fish burlesque jazz choreography was any less show appropriate than Brian Friedman's Femme Fatale jazz choreography. That one even involved an actual clothing removal.

[kingshearte]

The music really has an impact on the routines (to me, anyway) and that fish song was so awful it was actually making me angry. I'm not saying the routine would've been that much better with different music, but that song just compounded my dislike for the whole routine.

Definitely. In this case specifically, if not for that music, they might not have had to be sexy fish.

 

I'm quite certain that burlesque isn't because I don't think dancers (and let's be real... it would probably only be the female dancers) should be made to do striptease if that's not their thing, but I don't see how the fish burlesque jazz choreography was any less show appropriate than Brian Friedman's Femme Fatale jazz choreography. That one even involved an actual clothing removal.

Also not cool. Especially if the critiques are going to effectively slut-shame the dancers for being too overtly sexy in what is clearly overtly sexy (raunchy, even, would not be entirely inappropriate description, I think) choreography. Good point about the fish choreography, though. With different music, different costumes, and a different backstory, perhaps it wouldn't have been so bad. :)

[Snow Fairy]

The most boring epizode for me this season.

I'm surprised Alexa left, and am also sad for Yorelis. 

 

Does every contemporary have to be so angsty, sad, big story, drama? I'm getting tired of that kind of routines.  Especialy the team stage routines, there is always some big dramatic story. Does fun contemporary even exist?

[realdancemom]

 

I think of the dancers who have been on the show Courtney, Ellenore, and Jenna are the only ones who I think could have nailed the characterization for the dance... Mark, if the show let him (and I don't mean in drag... there's nothing in the dance that needs to be gendered). I think Lacey, Anya, Jordan, Jessica, and maybe Tanisha and Hailee could have made the dance sexy, but I'm not sure if they would have gotten the decay and decline aspect, much less successfully conveyed it. But  I think any dancers who were less visibly uncomfortable would have made it better. 

O000h Ellenore!!  Thank you for mentioning her.  Yes, I would have loved to see her do this dance.  I can also picture Courtney and maybe Jenna do it too. 

[kechara]

I have to say that, for me, nothing beats the cheerleader routine from season 3 for tacky

[Anothermi]

If you're referring to the one Dan Karaty choreographed for Lacey and Kameron?... totally agree. I was quite invested in that season, and it had a LOT of great routines, so it drives me crazy that I still remember that awful one.

[rollerblade]

O000h Ellenore!!  Thank you for mentioning her.  Yes, I would have loved to see her do this dance.  I can also picture Courtney and maybe Jenna do it too. 

 

I think many sytycd alums could put this dance off; Ellenore, Kathryn, Sasha, even the much-despise Melanie could do it.

 

At the same time, I felt this piece is better suited as a group routine instead of duo. Maybe the show should have used it earlier in the season when they had the 4-person dance.

[crowceilidh]

Finally caught up with the show.  Fish burlesque wasn't the only thing Alex... and Arianna couldn't do - that was good choreo. Their interview package was disgustingly cutesy and insincere - I felt more uncomfortable watching it than the dance.  I'm so glad Alex... is gone.  Couldn't stand her from the getgo.

 

Pretty sure that Yorellis and Neptune would have been saved if the twitter votes were allowed to save 2 street dancers - the only reason that Derek was saved that I can see is that both of those stage girls needed to be gone.