World Of Dance - General Discussion

[CelticBlackCat]

At this point, if Jonas & Ruby wins the whole thing I'd be happy with that.
I wish Lucas Marinetto would've won but he just did a really nifty tap routine, without having the angst of having been bullied because of the color of his skin or hating his birth mother.
Thankfully Marissa & The Heartbreakers were sent home.  While this routine was less stripper, it was still blondie with her brunette crew acting all girl power.
Connection winning over Funkywunks was fair because Funkywunks had the technical mistake which was supposed to be the highlight of the performance.  I liked F'wunks' Hammer music and costumes.
The best thing that happened this episode was the Cubcakes were sent packing along with their stank face "dancing."  All I saw was posturing, arms flailing, and a couple of basic gymnast moves.  If they're so tough, why all the crying?  The dancer who hit her head and the drawn out boo hoo session over it was boring.

[saber5055]

I meant to say I loved the Poreotics' costumes. Totally something I would wear. Go ahead and judge me.

2 hours ago, CelticBlackCat said:

If they're so tough, why all the crying?

Lightning is going to strike you for writing that. And me, too, for LMAO when i read it.

[marykat71702]

14 hours ago, saber5055 said:

Meanwhile, the "spider/sprinkler" move is so creepy, all it made me think of was demon possession and I expected her to spew green vomit as her back legs danced around her head. Just a big NO to that move unless you're auditioning for the next Exorcist movie.

OMG, this made me laugh so hard--I'm glad I wasn't drinking anything! 

I'm happy that Jaxon made it, but solely for his dance ability, not for the angsty reason for his dance. He dances so effortlessly, it is a joy to watch. I felt bad for Lucas having to go against him.

Thank God the Cubcakes are gone, they were annoying. And why bring up the injured dancer before the scoring? I am glad she is ok, though. Also, as a previous poster said, the girl that did the back handsprings in the routine had horrible technique.

Connection vs. The FunkyWunks was tough. I respect the fact that Connection didn't go for a "gimme". That being said, I think I enjoyed the FunkyWunks dance more, but kind of wish they both could stay.

Bye Marissa and crew and Pursuit--I won't miss you.

[PhD-Purgatory15]

This list maybe a little rough, but I think these are the remaining acts left to duel in this upcoming episode:

Juniors

Daniel & Mishella (mini Derek and his captive/mute partner)

Victoria Caban (Flamenco fierce teen)

Josh & Taylor (They danced with and through a chair in their audition)

Madison Brown (Contempo-teen)

Second to None (Tap trio. Yay! I like them lol)

-Acts already advancing through the Duels include: Avery & Marcus, Charity & Andres, Jaxon Willard, Jonas & Ruby, and Sean & Kaycee

Junior Teams

GirlCool (Audrey Hepburn-esque all girl crew)

Iowa Girlz (montaged, all girl contempo-team from I'm guessing....Iowa)

The Pulse (Ballroom act from Utah, barely qualified for the duels)

Quad Squad (HMV's with variety and flair)

The Rock Company

Tribe Unleashed (montaged, they looked like a cheerleading squad mostly)

-Acts already advancing through Duels include: Expressenz, Fabulous Sisters, FLIP, and The Lab

Uppers

Ashley & Zack

DNA (former SYTYCD Canada & USA participant and his wife, ballroom duo)

L & J (Contempo-duo)

Morning of Owl (Innovative Breaker/Street dancers from South Korea)

-Acts already advancing through Duels include: Alisa & Joseph, BDash & Konkrete, Karen y Ricardo, MarInspired, and Michael Dameski

Upper Teams

Brotherhood (Hockey-centric audition piece from this Canadian Crew)

Embodiment (All male group filled with LA backup dancers)

S-Rank (Run of the mill hip hop team)

-Acts already advancing through Duels include: The Bradas, Connection, Desi Hoppers, Lock N Lol, Poreotics, and The Ruggeds

**So it looks like the Upper Team category and the Junior category will have a trio duel if my calculations and memory are right, It also looks like (unless they throw WC's in the mix that there will be 28 acts moving beyond the Duel Round with an even 7 in each of the 4 categories)...

Edited August 10, 2018 by PhD-Purgatory15

[Mason]

Marissa (of the Heartbreakers) has upped the ante: now we have HMV360 as the standard to beat.

[Zuleikha]

Meanwhile, the "spider/sprinkler" move is so creepy, all it made me think of was demon possession and I expected her to spew green vomit as her back legs danced around her head. Just a big NO to that move unless you're auditioning for the next Exorcist movie.

I love that move, but it's a contortionist move. It doesn't work well in the middle of a strong sexy piece. I felt most of her contortion moves were out of place, even though I liked them for what they were.

[Rahul]

On 8/11/2018 at 2:25 AM, Zuleikha said:

I love that move, but it's a contortionist move. It doesn't work well in the middle of a strong sexy piece. I felt most of her contortion moves were out of place, even though I liked them for what they were.

Marissa and the Heartbreakers did not deserve a slot in the duels. Her background dancers belong in a strip club and Marissa can take her Exorcist contortions to a circus side show.

So glad the Cubcakes are gone. I don't think I've rooted harder for an act to be eliminated. What they do--mugging, (facial) gymnastics and a bit of gyrating is not what I would call dance.

Edited August 13, 2018 by Rahul

[AwesomO4000]

On 8/9/2018 at 9:59 AM, saber5055 said:

Again I agreed with all the judge decisions except Funkywunks. I liked their routine better than the winner, the theme was a hoot and kept me watching through the whole thing. Watching, smiling and getting a kick out of the Hammer music. . Derek said they goofed up a trick, like the guy was suppose to hit a pose but didn't.

Agreed. I had a friend who dropped by to pick up some cookies for a bake sale who doesn't watch this show. While the cookies were finishing cooling we watched this match. At first when she heard the M.C. Hammer music she was rolling her eyes and saying, "geez," but after a few moments, she changed her mind and really enjoyed it. And by the time the judging was done, she made a face and said "I liked the first group [the Funkywunks] better."

Yes, maybe they didn't do that one trick perfectly, but for me, I found them more entertaining all the way through with better use of the music and choreography. I'm going to miss them later in the competition.

[allypenguin]

On 8/13/2018 at 8:05 AM, Rahul said:

Marissa and the Heartbreakers did not deserve a slot in the duels. Her background dancers belong in a strip club and Marissa can take her Exorcist contortions to a circus side show.

So glad the Cubcakes are gone. I don't think I've rooted harder for an act to be eliminated. What they do--mugging, (facial) gymnastics and a bit of gyrating is not what I would call dance.

While I agree that Marissa and the Heartbreakers were not that good choreographically and definitely deserved to lose that duel I'd like to point out that what they do is incredibly difficult. It takes a lot of artistry, training, flexibility and coordination to do what they do, even if it might not seem that way visually a lot of the time. I'm classically trained in ballet and cross trained in jazz/contemp/modern/tap etc and I thought that heels would be an easy style to pick up, but boy was I wrong. But it is an incredibly empowering, creative and fun style to explore so I'd implore you to check out more of that style, even if Marissa's choreo is offputting to you.

Marissa's choreo was very repetitive and didn't cover how awesome of a genre it is. I'd recommend looking into someone like Yanis Marshall's choreography, or even Brian Friedman's, in case you haven't. BTW not trying to attack you, but it bums me out that you seem to not like the style of dance and thought I'd try to change your mind :) In the end, no harm no foul, everyone has their own tastes, and I'm definitely more partial to some dances than others, so I totally understand!

[PhD-Purgatory15]

So my list was off because we were introduced (ever so briefly) to Elektro Elite and ThaMost. Nice knowing both of you.

I figured their had to be at least a couple of montages (wasn't quite expecting 4 though). I think the invisible hand of Derek eaked out a (probably undeserved) win for The Pulse and Morning of Owl got absolutely hosed. They had more creativity than all but about 5 acts combined. I will definitely miss their "zaniness".

Honestly, I don't know how a tap act (solo or group) ever wins a duel on this show for what the judges seem to be all about. Second to None gave a pretty solid routine and wasn't even in the ballpark of advancing.

This night I would've gone the other direction a lot. I thought DNA was so frantic and rushed, I would've gone with L&J instead, I also thought Brotherhood won that last duel.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Upper division:
L&J (84+87+87=86) vs. DNA (88+89+88=88.3)

 

 

Ashley and Zack (91+92+93=92) vs. Morning of Owl (94+90+91=91.7)

 

Upper team division:
S-Rank (97+92+91=94.3) vs. ThaMOST (85+85+85=85)

 

Embodiment (94+93+93=93.3) vs. Brotherhood (94+91+93=92.7)

 

Junior division:
Victoria Caban (94+96+92=94) vs. Daniel and Mishella (86-87-88=87)

 

Josh and Taylor (88+83+86=86.3) vs. Second To None (90+95+92=92.3)

 

Edited August 16, 2018 by ElectricBoogaloo

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Duels that we didn't see in full on the show:

Junior division:
Madison Brown (96.3) vs. Elektro Elite (88.3)

 

Junior team division:
Quad Squad (93) vs Girl Cool (84)

 

 

The Rock Company (85.7) vs. Tribe Unleashed (82.7)

 

Iowa Girlz (84) vs. The Pulse (84.3)

 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Front row: Poreotics

Rehearsal: Jonas & Ruby

Confessional: Connection

Confessional: the Ruggeds

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Move of thte week: Dem Raider Boyz

[GaT]

I accidentally FF'ed through the whole Madison Brown/Elektro Elite section, realized I didn't care, & just moved on to the next dance off.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Upper division:
L&J vs. DNA - L&J's routine was one stunt after another with just one short sequence of dancing. I didn't find it interesting. I enjoyed DNA's performance much more, partly because there was a lot more dancing (although they still had some tricks too).

Ashley and Zack vs. Morning of Owl - I am so tired of flailing contemporary pieces that are about a couple breaking up or having a power struggle so I was not a fan of Ashley and Zack's routine. I've seen a million versions of what they did and I have no interest in seeing another one. I also hated her lavender satin lingerie costume. I LOVED Morning of the Owl. Their routine had lots of partner tricks that were so unique and their transitions were seamless. They were clearly having a great time and you could see that they were here to entertain and engage the audience. I would have kept them and eliminated Ashley and Zack.

Upper team division:
S-Rank vs. ThaMOST - S-Rank's performance was great from start to finish. This showed the importance of having good choreography as well as great execution. With a group that large, you really have to work on getting everyone's style the same because having just one person slightly different is so noticeable. I thought they were great. ThaMOST wasn't bad, but S-Rank was just better. I liked that this duel was two large hip hop groups so that it was a more evenly matched duel. One thing that would have helped ThaMOST visually was getting more cohesive costumes. It looked like they just said, "Wear something red, yellow, green, black or camo - I don't care what." As shallow as it sounds, having a more uniform look makes your group look more in sync. When you're all wearing completely different outfits, your eyes are constantly distracted by the differences.

Embodiment vs. Brotherhood - I wanted to like Embodiment's routine more than I did. I didn't see the perfectly finished lines that Derek saw. I saw some sloppy lines and I didn't think the triple turn into the double tour was as clean as Derek said. The solo attitude turn had a weird leg position and a lazy unpointed foot. If you're going to have a solo with a move like that, it needs to be perfect. I really did not like Ne-Yo's comment about how the problem with men doing contemporary is not being masculine enough. Just because a dancer has a penis doesn't mean that his dancing has to be aggressive or traditionally masculine. I thought I only had to hear comments like that from Nigel on SYTYCD. I liked Brotherhood's performance better. I thought they were better at their dance style, and their routine was more entertaining. Ne-Yo and Derek gave both groups the same scores so Embodiment won by a hair because Jennifer always scores groups higher when they make her feel emotional. Ugh.

Junior division:
Victoria Caban vs. Daniel and Mishella - I felt bad for Daniel and Mishella because I knew that short of Victoria lying on the floor and giving up, there was no way that the judges woulldn't advance her because she's the only flamenco dancer in the competition. Don't get me wrong - she is great at what she does, but I know that the show wants some variety in the acts (and it's hard to disagree with that since we have a million contemporary and hip hop dancers). I liked Daniel and Mishella (and I liked that they didn't go overboard with the typical ballroom mugging) but I knew they were toast.

Josh and Taylor vs. Second To None - Josh and Taylor had some really great moments in their routine, but I knew that the judges would want to keep the last tap group around for the next round. I enjoyed Second to None and they made some smart choices because I feel like often it's hard to bring extra personality into tap routines so their music choice and choreography really helped them. I'm so glad we cut away from the dancing so that we could see Derek say, "They're good," and Jennifer respond, "Yeah," in the middle of the routine. Great choices, producers.

The leftovers that the producers decided we didn't need to see in full:

Junior division:
Madison Brown vs. Elektro Elite - This confirmed my earlier belief that I liked Madison more than Eva Igo. Madison's routine was just as intense as some of Eva's earlier performances, but Madison has a lightness to her movement that makes her dancing seem effortless. Elektro Elite was good for what they were - three kids dancing - but the difficulty level was not there and some of the stuff they had in their routine wasn't clean enough (like that aerial cartwheel with one totally bent leg).

Junior team division:
Quad Squad vs Girl Cool - Quad Squad had lots of solo tricks but the group dancing was not impressive. Although they're not as egregious as the Cubcakes, I still don't like that competition studio vibe I get from them. They definitely need a better choreographer because right now it's obvious that their routines are tricks with posing in between. I liked Girl Cool's routine better because they had more dancing and their tricks were cleaner. Obviously the judges didn't agree with me since QS's overall score was 10 points higher than GC.

The Rock Company vs. Tribe Unleashed - I really hated the Rock Company's routine during the qualifying round, so this was an improvement. I still don't love this group but at least they did more than 90 seconds of roll offs this time. Even though we didn't get to hear the judges critiques, I'd bet that they didn't get all excited that Tribe Unleashed did the exact same trick that Embodiment got a tongue bath for (the assisted back lay out - and for the record, the Tribe Unleashed one was more difficult because she had to rotate more and land on her feet whereas the Embodiment one was not even a full 360 degrees and he was caught by a bunch of people when he was parallel to the floor).

Iowa Girlz vs. The Pulse - Well, of course the Pulse was going to advance just for using a J Lo song! I kind of wish that the Iowa Girlz had gone up against Quad Squad because these two groups had completely different styles. The Iowa Girlz clearly have real gymnastics training (not just the shitty "training" that competition dancers get to learn specific gymnastics tricks) so I found them interesting because they were different from most of the other junior teams. I guess one of the girls was on Dance Moms but I don't watch that show. You'd think that WoD would have featured this group (aka show their whole routine) to get the Dance Moms crowd to tune in.

Edited August 16, 2018 by ElectricBoogaloo

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

In "The Cut" round one, the acts face the deepest and most intense cut of the season with judges Jennifer Lopez, Derek Hough, NE-YO and host/mentor Jenna Dewan. The judges will score each act's performance based on their artistry, precision, and athleticism. Only the top three highest-scoring acts from each division will move on to the Divisional Final and be one step closer to winning a grand prize of $1 million.

Special guest mentors include actress, dancer, singer and Emmy Award-winning choreographer Julianne Hough, who will be working with her brother, judge Derek Hough, mentoring the Upper division and Tony Award winner Savion Glover, who will collaborate with judge Jennifer Lopez, mentoring the Junior Team division.

Original airdate: 8/22/18

[saber5055]

I admit I wasn't watching with my full attention last night, but I pretty much disagreed with almost every dancer/team that was put through last night. Most notably, the Owls got beat? That was the best routine of the night IMO, and worthy of those perfect 100s the judges gave some sloppy group a couple weeks ago. I also loved Brotherhood.

I objected to one of the judges telling someone that she "stole a move from Eva Igo's playbook." WTH? A good reply would have been, "Eva Igo's not here, I am." What's the obsession with HMV Igo? So many are so much better IMO.

The flamenco dancer in the yellow outfit ... OMGosh, that outfit made me think she was going to do a Bollywood routine, but even more than that, the heavy fringe on the outside of her legs made her look bowlegged and hugely FAT, not a good look for a dancer. It looked like she was wearing a full diaper, and that's not something I want to think about.

I looked up when the short clips started because I was thinking they were showing auditions again. I was all, who are these people? I guess they were guaranteed at least five seconds of tv exposure so they would sign release contracts. I did laugh at the Iowa Girlz, there was a closeup of one girl doing some sort of flip, ending up with her face in the camera ... a camera that shook like an earthquake just happened. I guess that was a not-so-subtle clue from the show that she needed to lose some poundage.

This show could have a drinking game: Take one drink every time Derek demonstrates a dance move from his chair, and another drink when Derek counts out beats to show some dancer how it SHOULD be done. Take two drinks when Derek goes on stage to illustrate full body dance moves. Alcohol poisoning will ensue.

ETA: I did like the tapper trio, it was fun and they kept my attention. Loved them, but man, it's hard to be a tapper when judges want to see krumping and gymnastics. Don't remember if they got through. Not that it matters.

Edited August 16, 2018 by saber5055

[Whimsy]

8 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Upper team division:
S-Rank vs. ThaMOST - S-Rank's performance was great from start to finish. This showed the importance of having good choreography as well as great execution. With a group that large, you really have to work on getting everyone's style the same because having just one person slightly different is so noticeable. I thought they were great. ThaMOST wasn't bad, but S-Rank was just better. I liked that this duel was two large hip hop groups so that it was a more evenly matched duel. One thing that would have helped ThaMOST visually was getting more cohesive costumes. It looked like they just said, "Wear something red, yellow, green, black or camo - I don't care what." As shallow as it sounds, having a more uniform look makes your group look more in sync. When you're all wearing completely different outfits, your eyes are constantly distracted by the differences.

I couldn't agree more!  I was thinking these exact thoughts during the episode. The lack of uniformity in the costuming really took me out of the routine!

[Carrots4]

The favouritism shown to the acts who have some connection to the judges is SO irritating. Ashley and Zack worked with Derek and win their duel with a conventional contemporary. Rudy worked with Jennifer and Embodiment wins. The Pulse is from the studio that trained Derek IIRC, and also wins.

 

DNA irritates me because Antonina comes off as having zero personality or charisma when dancing next to Denys. He draws all the arrention. She’s just kind of there. The woman is usually the one being showcased, so the routine feels off. L&J seemed to have equally strong presence on stage, so I enjoyed their duel more.

 

Morning of Owl said they had a fun name for the double windmill...wonder what it was. Their routine was just so much fun.

[allypenguin]

2 hours ago, Carrots4 said:

The favouritism shown to the acts who have some connection to the judges is SO irritating. Ashley and Zack worked with Derek and win their duel with a conventional contemporary. Rudy worked with Jennifer and Embodiment wins. The Pulse is from the studio that trained Derek IIRC, and also wins.

 

DNA irritates me because Antonina comes off as having zero personality or charisma when dancing next to Denys. He draws all the arrention. She’s just kind of there. The woman is usually the one being showcased, so the routine feels off. L&J seemed to have equally strong presence on stage, so I enjoyed their duel more.

 

Morning of Owl said they had a fun name for the double windmill...wonder what it was. Their routine was just so much fun.

I've loved Zack Everhart since SYTYCD and will forever think he wuz robbed so I can't pretend to be unbiased in this and unhappy that they advanced but it actually goes deeper than that haha. Their first routine was choreographed by Kyle Hanagami (who they are both very close with) who was a supervising choreographer on WOD last year, and has worked with JLo in the past. And going by Instagram, this routine was choreographed by Tessandra Chavez who won an Emmy with Derek for their work on DWTS.

I totally agree about DNA and I have a petty grudge against Antonina too because  she is the reason that Denys dropped out of SYTYCD ugh.

[marykat71702]

Oh, man, oh, man, oh, man, what a night! I actually enjoyed most of the dances and was truly sad to see some of them go.

It was kind of odd on the one duel where, from what the judges said, it seemed like it would be close score-wise, but ended up being a 10-point difference.

[CelticBlackCat]

Victoria Caban, Morning of Owl, and Embodiment were my favorite acts of the night.

[suebee12]

I really loved Morning of the Owl and think they should have won their duel. 'Nuff said.

[jewel21]

I thought Second to None did a wonderful job and had me smiling the whole routine. I was sad they lost. I also think Morning of Owl and Brotherhood should have gone through. This was the first time in the duels I didn't agree with all the judges decisions, which I guess is still better than last year, where I pretty much hated everyone who went through, heh,. 

[kirklandia]

Still watching, thanks to the sanity-saving powers of the DVR. 

I appreciate all the dance knowledge here.  Since I have none, I can only say that it was fun to hear Rockafeller Skank. Oh, and these dance groups have some lame names.

[SnarkyTart]

On ‎8‎/‎16‎/‎2018 at 9:10 AM, saber5055 said:

I admit I wasn't watching with my full attention last night, but I pretty much disagreed with almost every dancer/team that was put through last night. Most notably, the Owls got beat? That was the best routine of the night IMO, and worthy of those perfect 100s the judges gave some sloppy group a couple weeks ago. I also loved Brotherhood.

Agree with all of this ^^^^

The judges claim to be looking for something new and fresh, then eliminate Morning of Owl, right after saying they had original self-created and never-before-seen moves?  Plus, the group performed a ridiculously amazing routine and did it flawlessly.  That may have been one of my favorite routines on the show to this point.  I'm actually angry about being deprived of seeing more performances from Morning of Owl, and I usually don't get that invested in these shows.

I also thought Brotherhood kicked Embodiment's asses.

[luvthepros]

Jennifer made a comment that made me realize how unfair these duels are. She commented how there were acts who where sent home with higher scores than some of the acts that won their duels and made it to the next round. There should be a process in this competition which keeps the best acts who garner the highest scores. That just seems more fair to me.

[AwesomO4000]

On 8/16/2018 at 3:32 PM, Carrots4 said:

Morning of Owl said they had a fun name for the double windmill...wonder what it was. Their routine was just so much fun.

On 8/16/2018 at 4:20 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Ashley and Zack vs. Morning of Owl - I am so tired of flailing contemporary pieces that are about a couple breaking up or having a power struggle so I was not a fan of Ashley and Zack's routine. I've seen a million versions of what they did and I have no interest in seeing another one. I also hated her lavender satin lingerie costume. I LOVED Morning of the Owl. Their routine had lots of partner tricks that were so unique and their transitions were seamless. They were clearly having a great time and you could see that they were here to entertain and engage the audience. I would have kept them and eliminated Ashley and Zack.

I totally agree here, especially about Morning of Owl... whom I loved.

For some reason - and I know this is not going to be a popular opinion - my one exception in this competition concerning the contemporary stuff seems to be Marinspired. Maybe it's the lack of the usual HMV moves*** in all the flailing or the fact that the focus is on both of them (rather than usually on the woman in the male/female partners), but their routines make me feel something whereas the other ones - like Ashley and Zack here - don't usually make me feel all that much.

I'll admit that I have almost zero dance training or experience (unless ballet class as a kid counts... which pretty much, no, it doesn't), so I'm not going to catch a lot of the subtle mistakes that those who do have experience are going to catch, so I'm going by what I can see and how it makes me feel. Morning of Owl made me feel happy, entertained, and like I was seeing something original. Ashley and Jack made me think that I'd rather be watching Marinspired, because at least it would be something different, and I'd feel moved by the performance.

*** The Here's My Vagina moves for those who need the explanation... and yes, I apologize for having to do that to you if you did. And yes, that's maybe not anatomically correct, but I'm not sure that Here's My Labia^^^ would be much better. (... Or that everyone would know what that was. I even had to think for a moment to remember myself... and I'm a woman. In my defense though, it's easy for me to get confused, because in my profession, "labia" [singular labium] are something else entirely - they are part of the mouthparts on an insect - and that's the association of the word I am familiar with.  And as much as I love insects, my brain tends to reject naming those two things the same thing. Heh.)

^^^ Though I guess that "Here's My Vulva" might also work and would still fit with the "V" theme?

Edited August 20, 2018 by AwesomO4000

[CelticBlackCat]

2 hours ago, AwesomO4000 said:

I totally agree here, especially about Morning of Owl... whom I loved.

For some reason - and I know this is not going to be a popular opinion - my one exception in this competition concerning the contemporary stuff seems to be Marinspired. Maybe it's the lack of the usual HMV moves*** in all the flailing or the fact that the focus is on both of them (rather than usually on the woman in the male/female partners), but their routines make me feel something whereas the other ones - like Ashley and Zack here - don't usually make me feel all that much.

I'll admit that I have almost zero dance training or experience (unless ballet class as a kid counts... which pretty much, no, it doesn't), so I'm not going to catch a lot of the subtle mistakes that those who do have experience are going to catch, so I'm going by what I can see and how it makes me feel. Morning of Owl made me feel happy, entertained, and like I was seeing something original. Ashley and Jack made me think that I'd rather be watching Marinspired, because at least it would be something different, and I'd feel moved by the performance.

*** The Here's My Vagina moves for those who need the explanation... and yes, I apologize for having to do that to you if you did. And yes, that's maybe not anatomically correct, but I'm not sure that Here's My Labia^^^ would be much better. (... Or that everyone would know what that was. I even had to think for a moment to remember myself... and I'm a woman. In my defense though, it's easy for me to get confused, because in my profession, "labia" [singular labium] are something else entirely - they are part of the mouthparts on an insect - and that's the association of the word I am familiar with.  And as much as I love insects, my brain tends to reject naming those two things the same thing. Heh.)

^^^ Though I guess that "Here's My Vulva" might also work and would still fit with the "V" theme?

You are so right in every way in this post.  :D  Factually as well as IMHO-ly!

[atlantaloves]

I am still all about Victoria Caban, even though her heel work is sloppy, she's my favorite.  How old is this kid? 

[saber5055]

Because I don't remember names of groups, I scrolled back up to see if Marinspired's clip was there but didn't see one. As for the Owls' "windmill," the name that comes to my mind is "MonkeyF*cking." I should be embarrassed about that but for some reason I'm not.

As for HMV, that could be named COMC for Check Out My Crotch. Then it could apply for boy dancers too although they do not display it constantly as do some girls.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

24 minutes ago, saber5055 said:

Because I don't remember names of groups, I scrolled back up to see if Marinspired's clip was there but didn't see one.

That’s because they didn’t compete this week. Their performance was posted in the episode thread for whichever week they had their duel. I don’t remember exactly which week they performed but there were only three other weeks of duels so they’re in one of those if you want to watch their performance again :)

[AwesomO4000]

3 hours ago, saber5055 said:

As for HMV, that could be named COMC for Check Out My Crotch. Then it could apply for boy dancers too although they do not display it constantly as do some girls.

I think I could get behind this acronym as an alternative. Or would in front of maybe be more appropriate? ; )

Edited to add:

Quote

Because I don't remember names of groups, I scrolled back up to see if Marinspired's clip was there but didn't see one.

@saber5055, it's in the Duels #2 thread. And their qualifying performance (which I liked even better, despite the couple conflict theme) is in the qualifying 7 episode thread. For how long - since the performances seem to get removed randomly - I don't know.

Edited August 21, 2018 by AwesomO4000

[AwesomO4000]

21 hours ago, CelticBlackCat said:

You are so right in every way in this post.  :D  Factually as well as IMHO-ly!

Thank you : ) I thought I was going to be alone in my liking marInspired... I can't even say exactly why I like them so much or why they make me feel something when I watch them perform. I just know that I do, whereas with many of the other contemporary pairs that do the relationship struggle thing - like as mentioned, this epiosde's Ashley and Jack - I'm just more "meh. Pretty, but I don't feel it."

And weirdly, I felt the same way about the contemporary girl last year the judges were raving about (Eva?). I just didn't feel all of the things the judges were talking about. I was thinking more "Here comes another COMC move. I get it, you can lift your leg up really high and hold it there, but what exactly is that supposed to mean or make me feel?"

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Front row: Ashley & Zack

Rehearsal: S-Rank

Confessional: Embodiment

Confessional: Ashley & Zack

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Move of the week: Josh & Taylor

[PhD-Purgatory15]

Missed out on the first 40 minutes. Instead we got to see OSU give a three game suspension to their head coach Urban Meyer who enabled a domestic abuser on his coaching staff for years. So not exactly the greatest frame of my mind to watch the remaining acts I did get to see.

Missed Expressenz, The Lab, The Rock Company, The Pulse, Quad Squad, and Flip. Saw Fabulous Sisters and felt all the other routines sight unseen...they should've been in the Top three for the category. The Lab is still my pick to win the whole thing, so not surprised they made it through, although in watching them on Ytube it was probably my least favorite of their routines. Would not have picked Rock Company, but given the LV shooting backstory that they want to milk for all it's worth, it's not particularly surprising they got the 3rd spot. Now that I've caught up completely, I would've maybe given that spot to FLIP for lack of any other options (and it would've been cool to see them do their waacking fusion in another new way).

Don't really have too many thoughts on the other category. I'm completely over Ashley & Zack (still bitter that they got the nod over Morning of Owl) so I'm not thrilled they're still around. Michael Dameski continues to do absolutely nothing for me (and way to telegraph he was going through by giving him a 93 as the first one up, Judges). Also can he dance in another outfit? The white on grey is just lazy at this point.

Karen y Ricardo are on another level, barring a disaster they are in the finale. Bye DNA, and sadly bye B-Dash and Konkrete. I was really disappointed in them though. I thought the first 30-45 seconds was barely B- level work from them compared to what we've seen before. They picked it up and elevated it at the end (and I still would've have picked them over both MD and A&Z), but I understand why their scores suffered just enough to be the odd duo or solo out in 4th.

Edited August 23, 2018 by PhD-Purgatory15
Originally was duplicated, and I was unaware...

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Junior team division:

FLIP (87+88+90=88.3)

Expressenz (86+87+88=87)

The Pulse (88.0)

The Lab (100+97+98=98.3)

Quad Squad (86.0)

Rock Company (93+93+94=93.7)

Fabulous Sisters (94+97+98=96.3)

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Upper division:

Michael Dameski (91+95+93=93)

DNA (90+89+89=89.3)

Alisa & Joseph (86.3)

BDash and Konkrete (92+91+90=91)

MarInspired (88+87+88=87.7)

Ashley & Zack (90+91+93=91.3)

Karen y Ricardo (100+99+98=99)

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Junior team division:

FLIP - I loved the first ten seconds but the rest of the routine didn't live up to that. I'm not sure why because they were very clean and synchronized. I got annoyed by the exaggerated competition faces (pay attention, Cubcakes, because this is what you will look like in a few years) and someone needs to tell them not to mouth the words.

Expressenz - This routine took WAY too long to get started. There was no actual dancing for about the first 40 seconds which means they wasted about half of their allotted time on the wind machine and throwing leaves. And sorry, but cutting to different camera angles during the fouetté section did not hide the fact that one of the girls had wildly sloppy arms and got out of sync with everyone else.

The Pulse - I don't know why they can't post the full routine on YouTube but whatever. From what I saw, there was too much cape work. Capes on, capes off, boys waving the capes over their heads for way too long, capes back on the girls, capes back off again, more cape waving.

The Lab - It was clean but the choreography wasn't as good as their routine in the duels. Ugh, Jennifer. So what sets this team apart from the others is the emotion and the love and that they're a family? I guess that means the other teams aren't families who show love and emotion? That's not a diss on The Lab each other, just that Jennifer is talking nonsense again.

Quad Squad - From the little that we saw, it looked like they had more dance and less tricks in this routine, which was an improvement but I think they thought the lasers would be what pushed them over the edge to winning. I don't think they expected the judges to dislike them and call them distracting.

Rock Company - Another standing ovation? FFS. I didn't think the choreography or the execution was amazing enough to deserve a standing ovation. Can we also please ban the use of Hallelujah for, I don't know, five years?

Fabulous Sisters - This felt like a weird creepy fairy tale that I didn't know the story for but afterward I wanted to find the book and read it. I agreed with Ne-Yo when he said that they know how to take a simple move and make it great. Between the synchronization and the acting, they were so interesting to watch and they left me wanting more (unlike many of the same old same old contemporary routines that make me want to hit the fast forward button because they're just more of the same).

Upper division:

Michael Dameski - Typical contemporary competition routine with a side of gymnastics. Well executed but nothing new.

DNA - Ha, I was expecting Jennifer to give them some bonus points for using a Selena song. It was pretty and their tricks were solid, but I was bored.

Alisa & Joseph - Finally, an upbeat routine in the upper division! I thought it was fun, sweet, and charming. I liked the clean footwork and their relaxed vibe. They make what they do look so easy.

BDash and Konkrete - Finally, a routine that was worthy of a standing ovation. This was so fun to watch and still filled with so much dance content. They had an interesting concept and I liked the use of props. Derek's criticism that it took a while to get to the dancing made me roll my eyes because SO MANY of the contemporary routines took WAY longer to get started (including Michael Dameski who somehow ended up in second place in this division).

MarInspire - I always want to like them and every time they perform, I feel disappointed. I wish they hadn't done as many partner tricks, and their sloppy technique never fails to distract me, from the sickled feet in the triple pirouette (and the position of his foot that was neither passé nor coupé with the foot crossed in front of his supporting knee) to the lazy floppy feet that were neither pointed nor flexed.

Ashley & Zack - Oh, good, another contemporary dance about addiction set to "Fix You." No one's ever done that before.

Karen y Ricardo - Although I didn't love the choreography of the dance section in the middle, I appreciated that they put that in to break up the nonstop partner tricks. No surprise that they got the top score in their division.

Edited August 23, 2018 by ElectricBoogaloo

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

In "The Cut" round two, the acts face the deepest and most intense cut of the season with judges Jennifer Lopez, Derek Hough, NE-YO and host/mentor Jenna Dewan. The judges will score each act's performance based on their artistry, precision and athleticism. Only the top three highest-scoring acts from each division will move on to the Divisional Final and be one step closer to winning a grand prize of $1 million. Special guest mentors include "America's Got Talent" judge Mel B, who will join forces with judge NE-YO in mentoring the Junior division, and world-renowned dancer/choreographer Paula Abdul, who will team with host/mentor Jenna Dewan, mentoring the Upper Team division.

Original airdate: 8/29/18

[GaT]

Glad BDash and Konkrete got eliminated, I just don't like them. 

[Whimsy]

8 hours ago, PhD-Purgatory15 said:

1. The Lab is still my pick to win the whole thing, so not surprised they made it through, although in watching them on Ytube it was probably my least favorite of their routines. Would not have picked Rock Company, but given the LV shooting backstory that they want to milk for all it's worth, it's not particularly surprising they got the 3rd spot. Now that I've caught up completely, I would've maybe given that spot to FLIP for lack of any other options (and it would've been cool to see them do their waacking fusion in another new way).

Don't really have too many thoughts on the other category. I'm completely over Ashley & Zack (still bitter that they got the nod over Morning of Owl) so I'm not thrilled they're still around. 2. Michael Dameski continues to do absolutely nothing for me (and way to telegraph he was going through by giving him a 93 as the first one up, Judges). Also can he dance in another outfit? The white on grey is just lazy at this point.

3. Karen y Ricardo are on another level, barring a disaster they are in the finale. Bye DNA, and sadly by B-Dash and Konkrete. I was really disappointed in them though. I thought the first 30-45 seconds was barely B- level work from them compared to what we've seen before. They picked it up and elevated it at the end (and I still would've have picked them over both MD and A&Z), but I understand why their scores suffered just enough to be the odd duo or solo out in 4th.

 

I added numbers just to make it easier to respond.  

1. I agree about The Lab being the one to beat, but this was also my least favorite routine.  Also, if you're going to trot out someone's sob story, then tell us.  This is a young girl, so I actually thought they should've left the sob story out.  It was quite obvious from the choreography and costuming that one person was struggling and the rest built her up and then they were a family.  Say THAT's the story (but more eloquently) and stop making this poor girl dance (no pun intended) around the actual story.  It obviously had to be pretty bad and personal for her to not actually say what it was, so it should have been avoided.  Not telling us makes us have to guess or feel it's just fake to garner sympathy. 

2. All I see is flailing with him.  I am sure his technique is great and maybe if I haven't been watching SYTYCD since season 2 I may have been more impressed but I am so over contemporary!  I FF'd most of his routine.  And I agree about his costuming.  

3. I really like Karen y Ricardo, but I also think they're getting a serious bolstering from J-Lo because they are from Chile. 

5 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Junior team division:

FLIP - I loved the first ten seconds but the rest of the routine didn't live up to that. I'm not sure why because they were very clean and synchronized. I got annoyed by the exaggerated competition faces (pay attention, Cubcakes, because this is what you will look like in a few years) and someone needs to tell them not to mouth the words.

Expressenz - This routine took WAY too long to get started. There was no actual dancing for about the first 40 seconds which means they wasted about half of their allotted time on the wind machine and throwing leaves. And sorry, but cutting to different camera angles during the fouetté section did not hide the fact that one of the girls had wildly sloppy arms and got out of sync with everyone else.

The Pulse - I don't know why they can't post the full routine on YouTube but whatever. From what I saw, there was too much cape work. Capes on, capes off, boys waving the capes over their heads for way too long, capes back on the girls, capes back off again, more cape waving.

The Lab - It was clean but the choreography wasn't as good as their routine in the duels. Ugh, Jennifer. So what sets this team apart from the others is the emotion and the love and that they're a family? I guess that means the other teams aren't families who show love and emotion? That's not a diss on The Lab each other, just that Jennifer is talking nonsense again.

Quad Squad - From the little that we saw, it looked like they had more dance and less tricks in this routine, which was an improvement but I think they thought the lasers would be what pushed them over the edge to winning. I don't think they expected the judges to dislike them and call them distracting.

Rock Company - Another standing ovation? FFS. I didn't think the choreography or the execution was amazing enough to deserve a standing ovation. Can we also please ban the use of Hallelujah for, I don't know, five years?

Fabulous Sisters - This felt like a weird creepy fairy tale that I didn't know the story for but afterward I wanted to find the book and read it. I agreed with Ne-Yo when he said that they know how to take a simple move and make it great. Between the synchronization and the acting, they were so interesting to watch and they left me wanting more (unlike many of the same old same old contemporary routines that make me want to hit the fast forward button because they're just more of the same).

Upper division:

Michael Dameski - Typical contemporary competition routine with a side of gymnastics. Well executed but nothing new.

DNA - Ha, I was expecting Jennifer to give them some bonus points for using a Selena song. It was pretty and their tricks were solid, but I was bored.

Alisa & Joseph - Finally, an upbeat routine in the upper division! I thought it was fun, sweet, and charming. I liked the clean footwork and their relaxed vibe. They make what they do look so easy.

BDash and Konkrete - Finally, a routine that was worthy of a standing ovation. This was so fun to watch and still filled with so much dance content. They had an interesting concept and I liked the use of props. Derek's criticism that it took a while to get to the dancing made me roll my eyes because SO MANY of the contemporary routines took WAY longer to get started (including Michael Dameski who somehow ended up in second place in this division).

MarInspire - I always want to like them and every time they perform, I feel disappointed. I wish they hadn't done as many partner tricks, and their sloppy technique never fails to distract me, from the sickled feet in the triple pirouette (and the position of his foot that was neither passé nor coupé with the foot crossed in front of his supporting knee) to the lazy floppy feet that were neither pointed nor flexed.

Ashley & Zack - Oh, good, another contemporary dance about addiction set to "Fix You." No one's ever done that before.

Karen y Ricardo - Although I didn't love the choreography of the dance section in the middle, I appreciated that they put that in to break up the nonstop partner tricks. No surprise that they got the top score in their division.

 

I 100% agree with everything you said.  Especially about the Fabulous Sisters.  I have to admit, I didn't love their first routine.  But, they've been stepping it up each week and I am just mesmerized by them!  Every single inch of every one of those dancers bodies is in character.  Their music, their costuming, their acting.  I loved everything about it!

 

I'm really upset that B-Dash and Konkrete got eliminated!!  I really enjoyed them and I loved them bringing a new element (to me, anyway) to krumping.  I loved the storytelling!  I would much rather have them than Flaily McFlailerson, aka Michael Dameski. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

2 minutes ago, Whimsy said:

I 100% agree with everything you said.  Especially about the Fabulous Sisters.  I have to admit, I didn't love their first routine.  But, they've been stepping it up each week and I am just mesmerized by them!  Every single inch of every one of those dancers bodies is in character.  Their music, their costuming, their acting.  I loved everything about it!

 

I'm really upset that B-Dash and Konkrete got eliminated!!  I really enjoyed them and I loved them bringing a new element (to me, anyway) to krumping.  I loved the storytelling!  I would much rather have them than Flaily McFlailerson, aka Michael Dameski. 

I wasn't impressed by the Fabulous Sisters in their first performance either, but this routine made me glad that they stuck around. What they did this week was great performance, Although the girl on the throne got a lot of praise from the judges, everyone in the group committed to that fierce persona for the entire routine and showed us through their dancing as well as their facial expressions, their posture, etc.

Heh, ITA - I'd rather see BDash & Konkrete do another routine than another routine by Michael Dameski. I don't know what BDash & Konkrete will do next but I know exactly what we will get with Michael.

[slaterain]

I also missed the first 40 minutes due to Ohio State football being the most important thing ever to report on here in Columbus. I'm not sure I am too interested to take time to watch the other junior group routines. I am glad that I caught the Fabulous Sisters as they are just power and a whole new perspective! 

I'm sad that B-Dash/Koncrete didn't make it through. Their uniqueness should have kept them in IMO but I knew they would be right on that bubble. They really pushed themselves each new routine and I would have loved to see what they came up next. I do think there were gaps that didn't flow as well when they went to grab the next prop that did bring me out of it slightly. I kinda wish they had solos as a separate category from partners as I think it does really change the dynamic and how it is judged. The Aussie is good but there is less skill when you don't have to keep in synch with another and hold connections. It does say a lot that he is the only soloist left. but as others have said - we already know what to expect from him next week. 

[LoveDance]

Of the teams out I was sorry to see FLIP go and Rock Company make it through.   

Impressed by Fabulous Sisters  and  Karen y Ricardo. 

The rest meh.

[saber5055]

I was a big fan of Michael Dameski. I'm not a dancer but I am shallow, I loved watching him. I don't care what he does next, I'll be watching. Okay, I'm NOT a stalker, but he is so pretty.

I was disappointed beyond words by B-Dash and Koncrete. I loved them previously and I think they are fabulous. But last night most of their routine was like an AGT illusionist act, they spent too much time making books mysteriously move/open/close. It was a fail for me.  Which made me very sad.

I had fun watching Alisa & Joseph and wish they had stayed over B-Dash et al. The judges don't like dancers like them though, a pair who tells a happy story. There's enough angst around that I needed that fun refreshing routine to uplift me for a few seconds.

MarInspire ... this is the team that was talked about here last episode. NOW I know who they are! And I have to say I liked them very much. I enjoyed the routine which, I guess from reviews above, was aimed more at non dancers (me) than anyone who knows technique. I would have kept Michael, Alisa & Joseph and MarInspire as my top three.

DNA = boring and nothing new, even for someone who isn't a dancer I was bored.

Karen y Ricardo. I know Ricardo's name is in their title, but was he even there last night? I couldn't take my eyes off of Karen, from the moment she stepped out on the stage in that ... outfit/costume/OMG that she was wearing. I really didn't absorb any of her dance moves either, I just stared. A lot.

The teen groups ... I could care less who advances out of that bunch, none of them interest me. Although Fabulous Sisters were the tops IMO. They made me feel I was watching some evil Disney movie and those Dalmatians/princesses/step sisters were in some deep trouble.

[BuckeyeLou]

I love Karen y Ricardo...so dramatic, exciting & passionate!  Sorry saber, but Michael Dameski does nothing for me, but I agree with you about Alisa&Joseph...they had a fun, upbeat routing(reminds me of Fred&Ginger), but I guess they did not exhibit any angst.  Here in Indy, folks disappointed by Expressionz elimination but they represented well, but when compared with the other acts last night, they did seem like they were in the bottom tier.  JLo was very excited last night by Karen y Ricardo...she was making me laugh.

[saber5055]

Hey, speaking of JLo, I couldn't figure out her hair during the rehearsal segments. It was like she didn't have any, like it was all plastered flat to go under a wig. I wanted to see if she had it pulled into a bun or something. It was so thin, it made me wonder if her real hair is just worn out/falling out. I was surprised she was filmed that way. Unless it's some new style I'm not hip to. Which is perfectly understandable!