S14.E08: Top 10 Perform Pt. 1

[Koffee Kup]

Sydney is too tall for Paul and the lift he attempted was awkward.  She looks like she could snap him in half with ease.

I guess I like Robert's choice best.  Disappointed in the choice of Lex over the tapper because she felt she could help him more.  How about you reward the really good dancers.

[luvthepros]

1 hour ago, Koffee Kup said:

Sydney is too tall for Paul and the lift he attempted was awkward.  She looks like she could snap him in half with ease.

I guess I like Robert's choice best.  Disappointed in the choice of Lex over the tapper because she felt she could help him more.  How about you reward the really good dancers.

I'm scratching my head over this. Lex is an awesome dancer. IMHO, Lex can wipe the floor with any of the contemporary dancers in this field and he can tap too! As an all around versatile dancer, Lex should win this.

[healthnut]

1. Taylor & Robert - Travis choreo just really works sometimes 

2. Gabby & Lex - didn't expect to like this but it was one of my faves, I liked the extras they threw in for Lex

3. Kaylee & Cyrus - clearly I'm in the minority but I really liked this piece

4. Kiki & Jenna - wanted to hate this but I thought is was good; could her back have less clothing? 

5. Kione & Marko - pretty, they have the best chemistry 

6. Logan & Audry - some nice moments, he's very talented 

7. Dassy & Fikshun - Cool to see a popping routine

7. Robert & Jasmine - all the hip hops were the same to me, nothing special 

7. Mark & Comfort - see above

10. Sophia & Paul - not bad just my least memorable IMO

[crowceilidh]

I thought Kaylee looked awful in that badly styled dress and I ffed through most of their dance because it did nothing for me.  And I am a HUGE Cyrus fan.

Kiki.  Blech.  Is that why Val was there? Hope they're gone fast.

Seemed to me that the camera work/lighting was not very good for the hh routines (except Fikshun's or was that the bright costumes they were wearing?) 

Sydney really moved that dress well - it was tawdry and ugly when still, but she made it shine when moving.  Seemed to me like there was something off about her posture.

Vanessa is unwatchable.  I hope she improves like Jason did.  Mary's face is a botox rictus - she looked ridiculous, but she is defo the only one of the judges to whom I wish to listen.

I wanted to like the ballrooms, because Dmitri and because Val, but I really kinda didn't.  They were a little boring.

[sharifa70]

13 hours ago, WhineandCheez said:

The bent foot at the ankle, as they are picked up by their partner is like nails on a chalkboard to me!

Ohmygod me too! That, and the Nappytabs (ugh) signature literal interpretation of any lyric suggesting silence.

[calipiano81]

18 hours ago, crossover said:

Enjoyed last night's routines.  I wish they would let Mary decide when she wants to do the "Hot Tamale Train".  First Nigel was telling her when and now Cat???  I THINK they feel people missed Mary because of her screaming.  I missed Mary because she's knowledgeable and articulate on ballroom, if they let her.  And, she's a knowledgeable "fangirl" of the other genres.

ITA! Whether you like it or hate it, the whole point of the hot tamale train is that it is supposed to be spontaneous enthusiasm from Mary. It gets the dancers excited because they managed to get Mary so excited that she wants to put them on her train. When Nigel or anyone tells her to put someone on the train, it loses meaning.

Why the confusion of "Sophia" for Sydney? Sophia was Paul's runner-up pick for the kids' season. Was she that memorable?

In the brief snippets we saw, I did like Kristina better with Paul, but maybe Sydney is better strategy? It may be easier to coach Sydney on performance value than deal with Kristina's issues with choreo/other styles? And the viewers might be more likely to relate/vote for a shy teen from Utah than an older, sophisticated Russian (although the SYTYCD base doesn't care much for ballroom regardless)?

I do like Sydney, though. I hope she will come out of her shell enough for people to give her a chance.

[PhD-Purgatory15]

Well, there was another Sophia this season too. She got the boot when Marko picked Koine instead of her. Just a theory why that S name might have stuck in some people's heads.

Personal Rankings:

1.) Dassy & Fikshun (best of the night right off the bat)

2.) Koine & Marko (I'm sure this is way higher than how they'll finish. I really hope it doesn't happen but it wouldn't shock me if they are booted next week)

3.) Lex & Gaby (He is really the only guy in the Top 10 I care remotely about)

4.) and 5.) Mark & Comfort/Robert & Jasmine (Two pretty interchangeable groovy, vibey Week 1 routines which I think is never a bad thing. Always glad to see Luther back too.)

6.) Audrey & Logan (She'd be a better partner for him IMHO. When he starts dancing with Allison he's going to look like a little boy)

7,) Sydney & Paul (it wasn't a total disaster, but she doesn't really have much of a personality or a spark when she dances)

8.) Taylor & Robert (Not a fan of Travis or Robert, and Taylor looked awkward/less than graceful on the lifts. Couldn't stand the music choice either)

9.) Kiki & Jenna (expected more from Dmitry's choreography, could easily see them going out first)

10.) Kaylee & Cyrus (just an awful mismatch of a dance partnership. They should go first, but Cyrus's fans may come to the rescue)

[Morgan of Hed]

22 hours ago, MVFrostsMyPie said:

Is 5'7" considered tall? I only know she's 5'7" because they only mentioned it 20 times. Robert looked like a slouchy 6".

For comparison, Comfort is 5'2" I think. If you see video of her next to non-dancers she is teeny. She just dances herself a few inches taller. 

[Jynnan tonnix]

16 hours ago, healthnut said:

1. Taylor & Robert - Travis choreo just really works sometimes 

2. Gabby & Lex - didn't expect to like this but it was one of my faves, I liked the extras they threw in for Lex

3. Kaylee & Cyrus - clearly I'm in the minority but I really liked this piece

4. Kiki & Jenna - wanted to hate this but I thought is was good; could her back have less clothing? 

5. Kione & Marko - pretty, they have the best chemistry 

6. Logan & Audry - some nice moments, he's very talented 

7. Dassy & Fikshun - Cool to see a popping routine

7. Robert & Jasmine - all the hip hops were the same to me, nothing special 

7. Mark & Comfort - see above

10. Sophia & Paul - not bad just my least memorable IMO

I agree with most of this. Plus it's nice and concise (which I'm not, so bear with me), so makes it easy to remember which dancers were which as I've not quite got all of them clear in my mind yet, though, that being said, the All Stars chose every single one of my picks from their top two. And given that I know very little about dance and I see a lot of disagreement over some of the choices here, that makes me figure that there is probably a lot of input from the Powers That Be on which dancers/pairings would just come across as more appealing to the average viewer with no particular dance background. 

It's hard to rank them in terms of favorites; the ones I liked, I liked very much, and I really didn't dislike anything, though there were a couple which didn't hold my interest as much as others. I'll go with the order that the clips on the previous page were posted:

 

Lex & Gabby - I was really glad to see them start things off with a tap routine. Though it didn't give Lex the opportunity to shine in the same way that his audition did, I'm a fan of old-school tap and it was nice to see that he's quite proficient in it. I think he has enough of a fan base (and has shown that he's definitely one of the best dancers they have) that he'll easily be safe, and in the meantime he might gain a bit more of a following from people who DO enjoy something a bit more classic. Also, I agree with whoever mentioned tappers' "flaily" arms, and how his were more controlled. I liked the sophistication that lent. Especially liked those two little hops with his back to the audience toward the end. Simple, but just so clean.

 

Kaylee & Cyrus - I'm in the minority for really enjoying this. I thought her acting was very effective, and I always rather like stockier dancers as a contrast to the more willowy and graceful. They have their own charm, which can sometimes be even more effective. I don't think she's the BEST dancer in the competition, and having Cyrus out of his wheelhouse to boot did not help, but this kept my interest  more than some of the more highly praised numbers.

 

Taylor & Robert - Agreed that there were a couple of slightly awkward moments in a couple of the lifts, but I loved the strength of her holding some of those curved-around poses throughout them, and the combinations of angles and grace. They also make a very striking-looking pair just standing still. The choreography appeared (to me, at least) insanely difficult, and overall, those couple of little bobbles they had did not detract from my enjoyment of the whole thing.

 

Sydney & Paul - This was probably one of the less memorable for me, though there was nothing wrong with it. I love Paul in general, and have liked Sydney in everything we've seen of her so far, but maybe the style just isn't my thing. Some ballroom I enjoy, but mostly the more fluid and/or smoky styles like tangos, waltzes, some paso dobles and such. This was performed well as far as I could tell, but it just didn'treally keep my interest.

 

Kiki & Jenna - Again, danced very well, but it was way too much Jenna front and center. I found her annoying in her season, though ultimately had to admit that she was great in everything they threw at her, but she draws the eye to her at all times not through charisma as much as a determination to do it. So she overshadows everyone in a not-so-good way. I like Kiki, and was very glad she picked him over Konkrete, but I barely noticed him here, and the choreography itself didn't wow me either. I don't think they will last long mostly because people don't like Jenna much to start with, and she's not generous enough to highlight her partner when the show itself is (or should be) all about the contestants.

 

Dassy & Fik-shun - Just made for each other. I was sorry they went first because I'd almost forgotten them by the time the show ended, but on the other hand, it was a great start. They complement each other so well, are so in sync, and just so adorable you want to squeee. The only drawback is that it almost reads as Fik-shun/Amy redux...which could either work in their favor or against them.

 

Logan & Audrey (for Allison) - I was somewhat surprised that Allison chose Logan over Zachary, but also glad (I wonder if Zachary had a pending deal with Cats which prompted that?). As much as I found Zachary a excellent dancer, there's something about Logan that appeals to me. Maybe it's his youth, and it makes me wonder how he will mature as a dancer, but he's just so fresh and light in his movement. I love watching him. I have to echo, though, whoever noted upthread, that the abusive note at the end of the piece was unnecessary and I worry that it will translate into a distaste for his character in the dance, thence to him. I really enjoyed it up to that point, and want to be able to watch him for a while yet...

 

Mark & Comfort - Hip-hop isn't among my favorite styles, and while this was performed very well, it didn't do all that much for me overall. What I enjoyed with Mark's original audition was the smoothness of his movement; he seemed totally frictionless, as though moving underwater, and while he may be comfortable with hip-hop, it doesn't really showcase that quality. However, as versatile as Comfort is, I hope we will get more of a variety of styles from them - I suspect he could probably turn out to be quite versatile as well.

 

Koine & Marko - Loved, loved this. Did anyone not call it "ethereal"? Everything came together here from the choreography, costumes and lighting to the talent and sheer beauty of the dancers. They almost look like an exquisitely imagined Arthur Rackham style fairytale illustration together. Just gorgeous.

 

Robert & Jasmine - Such fun! If there's going to be hip-hop, I prefer it fun to the more, for want of a better word, "gangsta" type. While it's hard sometimes not to just focus on Jasmine's legs (and I speak as a straight woman), when I paid attention to the dancing I thought Robert kept up with her very well and held his own. It will be interesting to see where they go from here, as he really wasn't much on my radar before. Glad she picked him over Howard Johnson, though (that name!)...aside from anything else, to be shallow for a moment, he was probably one of the least telegenic guys I've seen. Unfortunately, I don't think even being the best dancer ever would have been enough to distract from that.

Edited August 9, 2017 by Jynnan tonnix

[Keekski]

I think a guy will win this season, easily. I am still betting on Lex but Mark and Robert could give him a run.

[slaterain]

The problem with this green mile ep especially when I haven't minded it as much in the past is that we don't know who most of the dancers are!!! It has all been so all-star focused and they have barely introduced us to any of contestants! Why should we care?! And I think we would have had a slightly different top 10 if Nigel and the other judges had picked. 

One way they could have done the team thing is if it was used to give the contestants some mentoring through the process but not limit the choice at the end. I think it would have been far better if they determined the overall top picks and then chose which all-star. I do think the mentoring helped with the group dances immensely granted we barely saw them and that was always one of my fav parts. They showed a snippet of one during the green mile and it looked great but we had never seen it!

[mojoween]

I'm just catching up now and I'm only to Jenna but ugh Kiki does absolutely nothing for me.  He looked awful in his own style (again) in the clip they showed from the academy.  Mary, stop it.  It was NOT train-worthy.

Ohhhh I am seething about Cyrus's  critiques because I love him and I always will.

Edited August 9, 2017 by mojoween

[Glaadrial]

6 hours ago, Jynnan tonnix said:

Kiki & Jenna - Again, danced very well, but it was way too much Jenna front and center. I found her annoying in her season, though ultimately had to admit that she was great in everything they threw at her, but she draws the eye to her at all times not through charisma as much as a determination to do it. So she overshadows everyone in a not-so-good way. I like Kiki, and was very glad she picked him over Konkrete, but I barely noticed him here, and the choreography itself didn't wow me either. I don't think they will last long mostly because people don't like Jenna much to start with, and she's not generous enough to highlight her partner when the show itself is (or should be) all about the contestants.

When I was watching Jenna perform, I was reminded of the line in A Chorus Line during the One Rehearsal number where the choreographer (Zach) instructs Cassie to "don't pop the hip" (i.e., dance like everybody else).  I happen to like Jenna a lot. Over on DWTS, she does really well with Max and Val, in particular, who have their own power and strength to direct the mountains of energy she brings to all her performances. Kiki, to my eye, was a bit tentative in his lead.

Ballroom is a tricky genre for a female All-Star pairing. IMO, the best dances are designed for the woman to shine. That said, it certainly is possible for a female to back-lead a male partner who is not dancing in his comfort zone. This pairing is not a good example of that, however, because he's dancing in his own genre and should be able to lead her properly. I'm torn, though. On the one hand, Jenna should be willing to be led as Kiki is used to leading or there will be missed connections and such given the amount of time they are given to master the routine; at the same time, it would serve him better for Kiki to aspire to the wild abandon that Jenna brings to the partnership because a neat and precise ballroom routine cannot compete with what can be accomplished in the other flashier genres highlighted on the show.

[spanana]

It's a tricky situation all around in terms of the all-stars. I get ballroom in particular is tricky since as said, it is often designed for the woman to stand out, but as an all-star what is your role? Do you dance full out in hopes of getting your partner to rise to your performance level but the downside is that you might wind up overshadowing them and making them look bad OR do you dance down a little in an effort to match your partner and make them look better?

Jenna particularly made a big deal on her instagram about how she would pick Kiki again a million times over and it was the first time she's ever done ballroom on SYTYCD where she got to dance full out.  Mind you I think her post was in response to backlash she was getting about not picking Konkrete/Kevin. I also don't know what other actual ballroom dancers she has danced with over the years on SYTYCD, but seems a bit of a slap in the face to them if she has (if she was mostly doing ballroom with non-ballroomers then her point is valid).  Anyway, she seemed particularly proud that SHE got to go full out and dance to her full potential and I know she meant it as a compliment to Kiki and his technique, but it left me kind of wondering what the role of the all-star was in this situation.  Also on the off chance that Jenna gets to dance with Kiki in other genres besides ballroom, she's going to have to dance down anyway. Not that she's great at hip hop, but I'm sure she's better than Kiki.

I've seen a lot of people expect Kaylee to be in trouble this week and I know youtube views don't mean everything but interestingly Kaylee/Cyrus actually have the 2nd highest views on their dance after Taylor/Robert.  Also the comments on the vid are largely positive in the sense that it's more people mad at STYCYD trying to shove Kaylee into the typical feminine contemp box and/or people at least happy that Cyrus dared to choose outside of his own genre.  Most of the ire is directed at production on Kaylee's behalf.  In terms of overall views it's Taylor, Kaylee, Lex and Dassy as the Top 4. Sydney/Paul have the least. I think if I had to guess who will go first it's Sydney.  

I'm a little worried about Koine, who has the 2nd lowest views. I think she got lost in the mix a little bit but I liked her.

Edited August 10, 2017 by spanana

[Duke Silver]

Mark bugs....seriously.  It pains me to say that because I am a huge Comfort stan.  I wish she had a partner I could cheer for.

I really like watching Dassy.  There's a quality to her movement that just catches my eye.

The rest just kind of ran together for me.  Really, some of them appear to be placeholders rather than the best that could've been brought to the lives.

[Haleth]

7 hours ago, Duke Silver said:

 Really, some of them appear to be placeholders rather than the best that could've been brought to the lives.

I think this is the problem with letting the All Stars pick the contestants they wanted, and whether consciously or not choosing people with whom they themselves would dance well, rather than letting more impartial judges pick.

(And with this I just contradicted my previous post where I questioned whether some of the picks were producer driven.)

[Andie1]

My issue with Jenna picking Kiki is two fold.  On the one hand we see Kevin absolutley mesmorizing in his own style, struggling with other dance styles but having undeniable charisma and being able to hold the camera as much as Jenna.  This pairing made Jenna likable because she wasn't being the sole focus for attention. This is a guy I would tune in to watch. He's like a fricken Blair Underwood, the camera loves him.  He is made for television.  Would he win?  That could be in doubt because he's not trained, and yet what does that say for a show that originally started to find a raw untrained talent?  They have dropped that narrative, but now with a guy like Kevin that narrative could have made sense.    

 

Secondly,  Kiki is well known in the Val and Maks circles, he was a troupe member on DWTS who was cut when the show changed directions.  So maybe the guy is good on the ballroom competition circuit, but he was uneventful in his style. He followed Jenna rather than led her,  he was cautious, not organic in his movement. Sure, the show is a vehicle for dancers to find more work, but should it be another audition for dwts when the guy has been cut already?  It is disappointing that Jenna didn't have the balls to really make a statement with an alternate choice. 

[Andie1]

Lex did a good job on the tap,  and he should be comfortable with it since he does a tap number on the Shaping Sound tour.  He is probably going to be the top male but I wasn't as in love with the routine, he saved an almost fall and I kept thinking how animated Benji Schwimmer would have been by comparison..  

[realdancemom]

Taylor was the surprise to me.  They hardly showed her in the Academy.  I know some of their lifts weren't great.  But she has beautiful lines, legs, and feet.   She also flowed really well from one movement to the next.  She is stunning too.  Marko and Kione have beautiful chemistry and they just work really well together.  I actually really like a lot of the chosen contestants.  I enjoyed Lex and Gabby's tap routine but I hope he gets to do contemporary.  Really like how Logan moves especially when he mixes break dancing with his dances.  He does look really young though.

I think both Kiki and Sydney are in trouble.  Ballroom is not popular with SYTYCD voters and both lack charisma when dancing.  Sydney also wasn't shown that much in the Academy and they didn't show her audition.  I hope she gets to dance more since I really like Paul.  I think she was chosen because she is more versatile than Kristina even though the latter is a better ballroom dancer.  I think Kiki is the best SYTYCD ballroom partner that Jenna has had.  I think she's only danced with non-ballroom partners.  She did dance with Rudy one year who didn't come in as a ballroom dancer.  His best friend did but you can tell that he had ballroom.  But he wasn't as trained as somebody like Kiki.

I think Kaylee was hindered by her dress and Cyrus.  She actually danced her part well but then I can see Cyrus and how he just lumbered along.  Tessandra Chavez was the right choreographer for them.  The contemporary wasn't a flowy dance that required flexible leg movements that you would see somebody like Taylor do.  It had a fusion of some hip-hop beats in it.

Enjoyed all the hip-hop dances.  Dassy is perfect for Fik-Shun.  I like Mark with Comfort when they dance but he does need to tone it down when talking to Cat and the judges.  Robert moved really well and has a very good performance quality to his dancing. 

Edited August 10, 2017 by realdancemom

[marriedaniac]

I predict Cyrus & Kaylee first out. I may not be a fan of his (though he is hot), but he CANNOT dance very well, and may have killed Kaylee's chances by doing a straight contemporary routine. The dress was unflattering, but I thought she acted the piece well and would benefit from a better partner.

Dassy & Fik-Shun are perfect so far. Koine and Mark very pretty and chemistry on point. I fear the judges may ship them too much over the season however.

Robert and Anne Hathaway Taylor did really really well. The Travis Factor helped... I'm curious for next week! Strong start to the competition.

Edited August 10, 2017 by marriedaniac

[TVbitch]

OMG, what is Vanessa on?! No....seriously. 

Sooo, do I have this right...the all-stars "had to make a choice." Jesus God, write them some new lines!  

[WhineandCheez]

Quote

and I kept thinking how animated Benji Schwimmer would have been by comparison..  

I always liked Benji and when I saw your comment, I looked him up online.  HOLY COW what a change!!! He's not a skinny kid anymore.  Wow. (strolls over now to look up his cousin Heidi--screw work)

[AlleC17]

On 8/8/2017 at 11:10 AM, spanana said:

I don't think the all-stars are only going to dance with their contestants every week.  Like with the kids last season, sometimes they will dance with the other newbies and maybe towards the end they will mix up the all-stars.  Some weeks the contestants did two dances.  One with their all-star/mentor and then another with a fellow newbie. So I don't think the contestants will totally be dragged down their all-stars shortcomings.  They will however be raised up or dragged down by their all-stars popularity/fanbase and how much the judges are up that particular all-stars ass.  Also the newbies will likely always be positioned as being mentored by X all-star and so a win for a contestant will likely be treated as a win for X all-star, no matter whether they danced with them that week or not.  It's all very shades of DWTS.

If they mix up which dancer is with the All Stars, that would be better than if the 'team' sticks together, at least imo.  lol  I hope you are correct!

[Mason]

20 hours ago, mojoween said:

Ohhhh I am seething about Cyrus's  critiques because I love him and I always will.

LOL, this is how I used to feel when people ragged on Evan!

[tpplay]

I have to boringly repeat what I've been saying every single season, which is - I can't stand Cat's work as host.  I know everyone else loves her, but she seems utterly phony to me and I HATE the little girl voice she likes to use sometimes.  UGH.  I'd rather watch the worst dancer dance than listen to her talk.

Different strokes for different folks I guess.

Edited August 10, 2017 by tpplay

[crossover]

9 hours ago, realdancemom said:

Taylor was the surprise to me.  They hardly showed her in the Academy.  I know some of their lifts weren't great.  

I didn't remember Taylor either.  But no judge made a big deal about the messed up lifts.  I've seen other couples who weren't as bad and almost the entire judges' critiques were on the lifts.  This is why I feel they are going to try to keep her around--meaning she will probably get the best routines/choreographers and critiques.  If need be, they'll force her down our throats.

[evasworld123]

Traditionally the contestant dances their own style on the first live show. For example, Cyrus is hip hop and Kaylee is contemporary. They danced a contemporary dance. So some one please explain to me why Lex had to do a tap routine just because Gabby does tap? Seems weird, inconsistent & unfair. PSA - I get Lex is talented enough to handle it. That's not the point here. 

Edited August 11, 2017 by evasworld123

[crossover]

4 hours ago, evasworld123 said:

Traditionally the contestant dances their own style on the first live show. For example, Cyrus is hip hop and Kaylee is contemporary. They danced a contemporary dance. So some one please explain to me why Lex had to do a tap routine just because Gabby does tap? Seems weird, inconsistent & unfair. PSA - I get Lex is talented enough to handle it. That's not the point here. 

Really don't know but I would guess TPTB wanted it for variety.  They already had 4 contemporary routines.  They probably knew that Lex did tap routines with Gaby as members of Travis' company, Shaping Sound?  So it wasn't a stretch for him.

[Snow Fairy]

On 8/8/2017 at 4:39 AM, slaterain said:

 

Kiki looks so uninterested in this whole thing - still annoyed that he made it as far as he did. And then Jenna chose him. so Jenna/Producer driven. Just don't care. I so want them cut immediately. For as talented as Kiki supposedly is I thought it was boring and not that well choreographed or danced. granted all the audition shenanigans may be causing me to be a bit biased against them. 

 

 

I wanted to address this since that awful hip hop round. Kiki seems so weird to me, like he does't want to be there. Or like a kid who's just messing around. I can't describe it really.

And his dance did not impress me alot.

As for the ballroom, Sydney and Paul were much better for me. The dancing and the choreography

 

Contemporary is getting more and more boring, especially when Travis is involved

[slaterain]

1 hour ago, Snow Fairy said:

I wanted to address this since that awful hip hop round. Kiki seems so weird to me, like he does't want to be there. Or like a kid who's just messing around. I can't describe it really.

And his dance did not impress me alot.

I can't tell if it is just the stoic Eastern European facade or not but to me he is giving no energy to anything and not really trying. All the mixed connections and such when he is supposed to be this amazing ballroom dancer. When Mary made some comment about wanting to get him on here for a while, made me think that they convinced him to do it not that he wanted to and then was over it by the hip hop. I really hope he gets cut quickly and puts him and us out of our misery. sheesh. 

[realdancemom]

14 hours ago, crossover said:

I didn't remember Taylor either.  But no judge made a big deal about the messed up lifts.  I've seen other couples who weren't as bad and almost the entire judges' critiques were on the lifts.  This is why I feel they are going to try to keep her around--meaning she will probably get the best routines/choreographers and critiques.  If need be, they'll force her down our throats.

Even though I mentioned that Robert/Taylor's lifts were off, I feel that Kaylee/Cyrus' lifts were really off.  Kaylee was barely off the ground in some of them.  The judges didn't give them great reviews but they also didn't say anything about the lifts.  Marko and Koine made their lifts seem seamless.  They transitioned from the lifts to the different dance moves well.

I was harsh when I said that Cyrus was lumbering around.  What I meant is that you can tell he doesn't have a lot of dance training because he doesn't flow from one movement to the next easily.  However, I will say that he and Kaylee did the hip-hop movements well in their contemporary fusion once they look at each other to make sure they start on the same beat.  So they need to practice that so that they don't have hesitations in their dances.  Kaylee also did the contemporary parts well. 

Edited August 11, 2017 by realdancemom

[alannaofdoom]

I really appreciated that when choosing her partner, Jenna said something along the lines of "I'm giving my tools, experience, and guidance to..." Most of the other all stars said "The person I'm taking with me to the live shows..." as if this season is more about the all stars than the actual competitors.  Which... I guess it is, in fact; but it shouldn't be. 

[slaterain]

1 hour ago, alannaofdoom said:

I really appreciated that when choosing her partner, Jenna said something along the lines of "I'm giving my tools, experience, and guidance to..." Most of the other all stars said "The person I'm taking with me to the live shows..." as if this season is more about the all stars than the actual competitors.  Which... I guess it is, in fact; but it shouldn't be. 

Which I find interesting because I think Jenna was the worst all-star partner in the performances in that regard - she seemed to hog the spotlight during their routine completely. Part of that was the choreography but I see her as a bit of a selfish dancer. 

Edited August 11, 2017 by slaterain
pesky grammar - sheesh.

[spanana]

7 hours ago, alannaofdoom said:

I really appreciated that when choosing her partner, Jenna said something along the lines of "I'm giving my tools, experience, and guidance to..." Most of the other all stars said "The person I'm taking with me to the live shows..." as if this season is more about the all stars than the actual competitors.  Which... I guess it is, in fact; but it shouldn't be. 

I didn't see what she said as being any more selfless than the others.  No matter what the all-stars say, I think it comes down to which one of their people they think has the best shot at getting them to a win and keeping them on the show the longest.  Which is fair enough because of course none of them want to lose, but none of them are exactly being selfless. In that sense, I think most chose correctly at least of their two remaining people.  If anything, Jenna is the one that I think shot herself in the foot.  Even if Konkrete wasn't that versatile, viewers really responded to his chemistry with Jenna in that first dance and I think people would have rallied behind him.  He had a personality.  Whereas Kiki is just kind of there.

[Andie1]

On 8/10/2017 at 2:30 PM, WhineandCheez said:

I always liked Benji and when I saw your comment, I looked him up online.  HOLY COW what a change!!! He's not a skinny kid anymore.  Wow. (strolls over now to look up his cousin Heidi--screw work)

Yeah, he's not the little kid on SYTYCD but he's still got it  

[StrictTime]

On 8/11/2017 at 6:16 AM, Snow Fairy said:

 

 

Contemporary is getting more and more boring, especially when Travis is involved

IMO, Travis just strings poses together. Not really "dancing".  Boring.

[nx74defiant]

I don't buy that Nigel didn't interfere with the picks.

When Comfort talked about a girl duo she was so enthusiastic, I can't help wondering if that wasn't what she really wanted, but was told to go the other way.

Once again we have the lighting that makes everything the same color At least I could see Kaylee's arms and legs.

Edited August 13, 2017 by nx74defiant

[WhineandCheez]

Quote

  If anything, Jenna is the one that I think shot herself in the foot.  Even if Konkrete wasn't that versatile, viewers really responded to his chemistry with Jenna in that first dance and I think people would have rallied behind him.  He had a personality.  Whereas Kiki is just kind of there.

100% correct.  Kiki is leaving either tonite or next week, I think. Konkrete (rolls eyes) would have been interesting and I am sure Jenna could've played up the heat angle very well.

[gik910]

I was so happy with the stage and the fact that Wade was back that I am just dealing with the rest of it. I would love to see Mark Kenamura back to do some choreo (especially if we can get something like "I am the best" which was the  first time I understood Jenna's appeal)

Love Fik & Dassy together.  So happy to see him happy after the debacle of World of Dance.  

I thought Lex was charming AF.  I am a little disappointed he is with Gabby so I do hope they switch it up during the season.

I say it every time I see her, but Comfot is just aging like a fine wine. Like, I liked her a lot on her season but now she makes me question my sexuality.  It is not even about her looks - there is a maturity about her now that is so appealing.  I liked her & Mark together a lot. 

Loved Jasmine & Robert.  I love the personality he threw into that dance. It was super entertaining.

[axlmadonna]

On 8/10/2017 at 8:36 AM, Andie1 said:

On the one hand we see Kevin absolutley mesmorizing in his own style, struggling with other dance styles but having undeniable charisma and being able to hold the camera as much as Jenna.

Methinks this is exactly why Jenna the show -off chose the boring one.

I came here just to say how mad and disappointed I am that Kevin was booted in favor of someone who doesn't even care about being there. He put all of himself into that routine, and wanted it so much. He deserved to make it.

Also, he could have chosen from almost any of the all- stars, they were all begging him to pick them. Allison made the case that she could bring out more of him and help him become a more rounded dancer, that's why he picked her. Then she threw him away at the first opportunity. So Jenna throws him a hail mary, and ditches two of her team in the process (which seems like a crappy thing to do to them anyway), and shows that she really CAN bring out more of him and help him become a more rounded dancer AND has smoking hot chemistry with him that would have made shippers swoon and compelled viral YouTube vids...And she throws him away in favor of someone boring who doesn't even care about being there. 

Nice job, show. I've never truly resented you until now. I can't help but wonder if he would have had a better shot if he had chosen a different all star in the first place. 

Edited August 28, 2017 by axlmadonna

[SnarkyTart]

2 hours ago, axlmadonna said:

Methinks this is exactly why Jenna the show -off chose the boring one.

I might be more cynical than most, but I don't for a minute think the all stars actually had the final say in who their partners would be.  I think the producers predetermined that Kiki would go through and that he would be Jenna's partner.  I think it's supposed to be cross-promotion with DWTS.  This looks ever more transparent to me as the judges and Kat all go over the top in trying to make Kiki happen.  He's a mediocre ballroom dancer (compared to, say, Pasha), he's lacking in charisma, and he and Jenna have very little chemistry. But, it does allow Jenna to hog all the camera time and get all that praise from the judges (as though *she* is the contestant), again because of the cross-promotion with DWTS.   

[dcalley]

On 8/7/2017 at 9:21 PM, awaken said:

Something was off about Kaylee/Impavido. She seemed upset and had an odd expression. As well as what looked like lipstick smeared on her face.

I think the lipstick was purposefully smeared during the dance to the lyrics that mentioned makeup.

On 8/10/2017 at 10:41 PM, evasworld123 said:

So some one please explain to me why Lex had to do a tap routine just because Gabby does tap? Seems weird, inconsistent & unfair. PSA - I get Lex is talented enough to handle it. That's not the point here. 

I am suspicious that it was deliberate to give Lex a "breakthrough" moment in the future. When he dances in his style later, he will really stand out.

I am way behind and only just watched this one. I was disappointed Comfort didn't pick the woman and not at all surprised but still disappointed that Jenna picked Kiki.