S14.E09: Top 10 Perform Pt. 2

[Quickbeam]

15 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

 

You know what style never makes me say, "Hey, we haven't had a _________ routine for a while and I really miss it"? Disco.

 

For me (and I am of the disco era) it's because it is so dated and of such a narrow period in time. I feel the same way about the Charleston. Better left to history. 

[A.Ham]

20 hours ago, crowceilidh said:

That AT absolutely blew on Lex's side.  I felt there was something very wrong about the way he was dressed for it.  The suit wrinkled up a lot and made him look hunched.  I think it was supposed to be hiding flaws not exacerbating them, but I don't think it succeeded.

Word! I thought the exact same thing as I was watching it.

To be honest, I prefer ballroom when danced by ballroom specialists. Gaby did well enough, but, show, don't throw hunched shoulders at me and expect me not to notice. Ok, end of rant.

I thought Kiki would last until he got Hip Hop, so I laughed my ass of when he got it on his second week. Not so much for him, but for Jenna, because I think her shoehorning him into the season is going to backfire on her. He will probably be gone at the end of next week's show, barring a miracle.  

Ok, I do have another rant. Still hating that we only got to meet 10 new dancers in favor of these all-stars. A little bit of all-stars goes a long way. There's too much focus on them still--I want them to just shut up and dance, and not be spoken about at judging (hello! there is an actual contestant standing right there next to them!). They already had their time to shine. Just talk about the contestants, thank you very much.

[crowceilidh]

The show is doing everything it can to keep Kiki - I don't know why, but they really are.  I'd be gobsmacked if he doesn't last to 6th place or higher.

Maks Chmerkovskiy was tweeting about the Fam voting for him on Monday night and Val's omnipresence is certainly a bit in-my-face too.  That's what I'm saying about the scripting.  It is strong in this season.  They are going hard for a narrative they want.

[llongori]

19 hours ago, GeminiDancer said:

I thought the AT was horrible, and as I'm going deeper and deeper in AT world, I realize why I'm no longer a fan of the routines. It's because I don't find that the male partner to be believable as a leader (except Pasha, of course), and this was painfully obvious with Lex. The first Americana walk, his feet are slightly behind hers in timing. She's doing the ochos and ganchos by herself when he should be *telling* her to do the movements. The gancho sequence towards the end was cringe worthy: I don't mind open embrace, but there was a canyon between them. With the way they were so far apart, there's no way they could feel for the back of the knee and make the actual hooks.

I agree with everything you said here.  In addition, I saw no connection between them.  As I watched I felt Lex was looking "toward" Gabby but not "at" Gabby.

[Percysowner]

12 hours ago, LadyMustang65 said:

Heck yes.  For me right up there with Joshua and Katee.  :)  I'll state upfront that I adore Fik-shun, but I still think Aaron/Jasmine should have won that season.  :(

I was really surprised that Kaylee was not in the bottom 3.  She was not good or memorable last week.  I agree that Lex's AT was not great, but he wasn't bad either.  It just lacked the 'passion' that you expect to see in it.  But his solo was out of this world, and he is still my early favorite to win (meaning I want him to win, not necessarily that I think he will).   I was sorry to see Jasmine's partner leave first.  I did not think he deserved that, and Jasmine is one of my favorite contestants ever, so I'm really sorry to see her go.  :(  Also, the African jazz piece was interesting to begin with, but by the time it ended we were so glad.  I don't know if it was the choreo or the music or what, but by about halfway through, we were over it and wanted it to end.  Something was bugging big time.  Just not really sure what, though.  Loved the Broadway piece as well. 

Totally agree on Aaron and Jasmine. It would have been hard to beat Fik-Shun and Amy, but I think Aaron and Jasmine could have pulled it off if Aaron hadn't injured himself. He did lose a step due to the injury, although he did great by continuing in spite of it. That really was a great season. I loved Aaron and Jasmine and Paul and Makenzie. Fik-Shun and Amy were good, but I preferred the other 2 couples more.

[waving feather]

Wasn't a fan of the Ki Ki hip hop but I loved his solo. That solo was fire. Fuego. For his hot solos alone I would keep him on the show. 

[Cuatro1234]

I liked Robert (contestant) a lot, loved to see his outfits, thought he really threw himself into that contemporary dance and sold it, and was super classy in dancing through his disappointment in the end.

I LOVED the disco, but then again I love disco music and big group dances so I thought it was a lot of fun.

I was really disappointed there wasn't more dancing overall, though.  2 hours-- and we had ten 30-second solos, ten 1-1/2 minute duets, one group dance and an (unfortunately) anemic step number.

Was the stepper Blessing even there?  And she surely didn't bring her whole troop of 22.  I like step, and think it's better when they have a big group rather than just 2 dancers at at time (was that Kent who did step in S7?), but I think we're missing the audience energy that makes step magnetic.

I loved the Brian Friedman piece too, and thought the parts of the package where Logan was looking adoringly at Allison were very cute.  I love those bendy boys like Ricky Ubeda and Jakob Karr (my all-time favorite) and Billy Bell, and Logan fits that mold.

Edited August 16, 2017 by Cuatro1234
clarification

[crossover]

5 hours ago, Terrafamilia said:

Loved Logan's solo.

I loved Logan's solo as well.  He also showed a lot of strength and control in BFrie's routine.  I know Lex is the favorite but Logan has to be up there as well. right?  Koine also showed a lot of strength and control in Sean's African Jazz.  Wonder why the TPTB didn't choose to back her over Taylor?  Maybe she's not good in ballroom and hip hop and Taylor is???

Unless someone gains a lot more voter support than TPTB expect, it looks like they are supporting Lex (They tried to make the audience think Lex was ok in the AT by the "outside your style" angle), Kiki (They tried to make the audience think Kiki has improved so much in hip hop from the academy round), and Taylor (They tried to make the audience think this was one of the best bwys with their SO). 

ETA:  The judges' critiques on Lex, Kiki, and Taylor would've been fine, if they were true.  On the flip side, they really had to dig deep to find a justification to let Robert go.  But, if you're not a favorite, don't hit the bottom because you will be sent home.

Edited August 16, 2017 by crossover

[WhineandCheez]

Quote

 I love those bendy boys like Ricky Ubeda and Jakob Karr (my all-time favorite) and Billy Bell, and Logan fits that mold.

Bendy Boys--HEE! Those 4 guys (whom I agree all dance the same) need to start a traveling troupe with that name.

Lex isn't very sexy, he's more technical.  When Leonardo (swoon) took 1.5 seconds and moved his hand across Gaby's face (swoon) it was sexier than Lex' entire dance.

[Tikichick]

On 8/15/2017 at 8:56 AM, WhineandCheez said:

 Poor Robert--however, if they only allot 1 slot each year to the "untrained breaker/popper/locker/krumper", it should have gone to Konkrete, who was a more interesting dancer.

I LOATHED Jenna and Kiki's dance. Poor Logan being in B3, he is great, his solo was unbelievable, but I also LOATHED his dance with Allison, probably the costume/theme's fault.

Favorite dance was Koine and Marko, and Kaylee/Impavado was great.  She is so strong, such an interesting dancer.  Know who is not an interesting dancer--Sydney.  I think the Utah/Mormon voting bloc is keeping her here, because she is vanilla, and Paul (squee!) shouldn't have picked her over Kristina (I think that was her name??, who smoldered)

Lex is no longer a shoo-in.  He is rather too subdued in personality

My daughter watched long enough to see Lex's AT last night.  In the lead-in they flashed a visual of the tap routine from last week, allowing her to see those costumes.  She said, are they trying to get him booted off, tap in those costumes week one, AT in week two?

About 20 minutes later she came back out and said, I get it, they're going to allow him to finish in his wheelhouse with the storyline of getting stronger and stronger, they're stacking the deck.  I have to concede that is likely the plan.  He is the best dancer in the field out of the gate.  The fly in the ointment might be a dark horse like Koine coming in and surprising everybody by killing it and charming the hell out of everyone at the same time. 

[Tikichick]

I liked Robert the person, but honestly that is who I expected to be heading home after last week.  I realized I was correct when he walked up to receive critique on this week's number.  He clearly already knew it was coming, just like the kids did last season.  

I think Lex is an incredible dancer and fully expect him to walk away with the season going in.  For that AT not to get footwork critique defies belief.  Sorry, he stepped through that number, he did not dance those steps.  I don't feel it was fair he was introduced last week with tap, which is Gaby's genre, not his.  Gaby had her season.  This should be about the contestants. 

Koine and Marko's number is one of the most well done, and innovative pieces of choreo this show has EVER produced.  Top to bottom, everything that went into putting that piece on screen was superb.  Koine is now my dark horse to steal the season, and the hearts of the audience.

My DVR went AWOL a half hour into the episode, shut off and restarted, leaving me with only the last 20-ish seconds of Kiki and Jenna's hip hop #.  I was thinking I must have missed the amazing bits by the judges' comments and the dancers' attitudes that they had served it up steaming hot.  From the comments here I'm thinking that the 20 seconds I did see was representative of the number as a whole after all. 

So glad to see so much love here for Comfort.  Her seasons as an All Star have been a revelation for the absolute powerhouse of a dancer she has become.  Amazes me for all the strength she can bring to absolutely tear the stage down if a number requires it, she can just as deftly pluck your heart out of your chest if a number requires that emotional side as well.  Definitely one of the most talented dancers this show has ever brought to the screen.

[lavenderblue]

I found Marko and Koine's African jazz the most interesting number of the night, yet also found myself losing patience about two-thirds through. Not sure what went amiss for me -- it was just a case of a good thing feeling like it was extended slightly past the point of building to a great conclusion. I haven't timed the dances; was it longer? That said, they're one of my favorite couples this season in terms of having a great connection as dancers right off the bat. Fik-Shun and Dassy are similarly well-matched.

Maybe this simply goes to a conspiracy-minded quality in me, but I'm legit beginning to wonder if the show took Kiki in exchange for Val C's becoming a regular choreographer. It's a win-win for Val, who lacks the outside show biz resume among DWTS pros that certainly someone like Derek Hough or even Mark Ballas has -- bolstering his credentials if he chooses to leave the show, as well as adding to his leverage there. Kiki in no way is the type of ballroom dancer this show has ever preferred, looking at the past smoldering types like Dmitry or Pasha and the more recent cute types a la Paul and Alan. Kiki is kinda hipster dorky, has no chemistry with Jenna (and no one in the show has even tried to argue much that he does), and is barely passable in other styles. And knowing now that the contestants are changing styles each week, Jenna NEVER needed a ballroom partner. By conventional narratives, she would have taken Konkrete, and I think there's a good chance that he'd have been a significantly smarter choice with voters and I don't think Jenna's too stupid to realize that. But instead, we get this highly convenient arrangement that in the past would've seemed like suicide even for the producers themselves (or he'd be cast purely as fodder, like a Nick Bloxsom-Carter) -- and instead, it's being propped up. Let's just say I won't be stunned if Kiki makes his "triumphant" return to the DWTS troupe over the next year, especially as the show's beginning to run low on male pros.

Edited August 16, 2017 by lavenderblue

[spanana]

9 minutes ago, lavenderblue said:

Maybe this simply goes to a conspiracy-minded quality in me, but I'm legit beginning to wonder if the show took Kiki in exchange for Val C's becoming a regular choreographer. It's a win-win for Val, who lacks the outside show biz resume among DWTS pros that certainly someone like Derek Hough or even Mark Ballas has -- bolstering his credentials if he chooses to leave the show, as well as adding to his leverage there. Kiki in no way is the type of ballroom dancer this show has ever preferred, looking at the past smoldering types like Dmitry or Pasha and the more recent cute types a la Paul and Alan. Kiki is kinda hipster dorky, has no chemistry with Jenna (and no one in the show has even tried to argue much that he does), and is barely passable in other styles. And knowing now that the contestants are changing styles each week, Jenna NEVER needed a ballroom partner. By conventional narratives, she would have taken Konkrete, and I think there's a good chance that he'd have been a significantly smarter choice with voters and I don't think Jenna's too stupid to realize that. But instead, we get this highly convenient arrangement that in the past would've seemed like suicide even for the producers themselves (or he'd be cast purely as fodder, like a Nick Bloxsom-Carter) -- and instead, it's being propped up. Let's just say I won't be stunned if Kiki makes his "triumphant" return to the DWTS troupe over the next year, especially as the show's beginning to run low on male pros.

Speaking of that whole situation, Jenna had a bit of a meltdown on twitter earlier this week telling fans and the like that she was tired of the criticism about not being Konkrete and that Kiki was the best and blah blah.  Which defending her decision and Kiki is fine but then she went on to say that if she had picked Konkrete she would have had to do krump week one and that would have made them both look bad since obviously she can't krump.  Also she said something about how Kiki had never given her attitude, which I assume was some sort of backhanded dig at Konkrete.  But the middle point really bugged me in the sense is that if you never had any intent of doing krump week one and/or dancing in his style, then why did you bother saving him to string him along and pretend like he was a viable option for you?  Why did you waste his time?  She then said if you are a fan you should never question anything she does.  Lol.  Welcome to social media Jenna.

My hunch is Jenna/Kiki won't win obviously but will last just long enough so as to not overlap with DWTS so that Jenna can finally get her pro spot over there (yes, she was a pro once but she was eliminated first and promptly benched).  Then she and Val will do their couple thing over there as well as on SYTYCD and Kiki will probably start showing up in the DWTS troupe when they need extra dancers and it will be a nice little love affair for all.

[Pollypam]

Is no one going to talk about Fik-shun's amazing afro? Or the way he kept affectionally patting it?

[alannaofdoom]

On 8/14/2017 at 10:51 PM, crowceilidh said:

Kiki was dreadful in that HH.  Jenna wasn't a whole lot better.  I would LOVE to hear what LuBrown actually thought of their dance.  I mean how many seconds did he kill in there with various easy crap moves I could have done.

THAAAAAAAAAAANK YOU (and everyone else) I thought I was taking crazy pills when the judges flipped for it. I just don't get the whole Kiki "thing" and I need it to stop immediately. This was nonsense. Dumbed-down, watered-down, wasting 20 seconds at the end with the cash gun and the fur because they were short and didn't have enough time/skill to learn more steps. Boo. Booooooooooooooooo. To say nothing of the ridiculous every-pop-culture-reference-from-the-last-three-decades-thrown-in-blender-with-a-dash-of-steampunk-and-some-green-hairspray costumes. I mean don't get me wrong: I am one for ridiculous costumes when they serve the dance. (Cf. the headdress and intricately patterned-and-slashed unitards for Koine & Marko.) But that was just desperate.

On 8/15/2017 at 5:48 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I know lots of people love B-Free from his early seasons on the show, but his routine for Allison and Logan was a miss for me. Allow me to channel Len Goodman while I say that there was too much faffing about at the beginning. These routines should showcase whoever is competing, so having Logan sit in a chair for the first 30 seconds of the routine was a complete waste of time. And sorry, but if you're going to have a dance with a table then it better be as good as Sabre and Neil's table dance (which this was not).

I loved Logan & Allison's number in large part because it seemed like they were having SO MUCH FUN with it. I was skeptical at first - a blind date where you're blinded? - because there's high concept and then there's ~~~high concept~~~ but it ultimately won me over. (Not least by actually making use of the furniture onstage, which has been my petty problem with both of Luther Brown's hip hop numbers from the last two weeks. If you're going to put a skid full of cash or a rack of rims onstage, USE IT. And no, "jumping off of it in the first second of the dance" doesn't count as using it. To be clear: I love Luther Brown's choreography, I'm just being extremely persnickety about this point. OK this digression is long enough now.) I'm also a fan of Bendy Boys (tm @Cuatro1234) and Logan's leg extensions are just wonderful. My only real issue was that his costume was so dark and covered so much of him, I tended to lose him in the busy, dark background. Please highlight the dancer who is actually competing, production designers! Anyway I've wandered a bit far from the original point now but you're absolutely right, Sabra and Neil is the ne plus ultra of table dances. They're unbeatable.

On 8/15/2017 at 10:46 AM, spanana said:

I think Kaylee has a lot more fan support than people think, and it's not all Cyrus.  I know reading youtube comments is hazardous, but I was reading the comments on their youtube vids last week.  First off Kaylee/Cyrus's video had one of the highest amounts of views (Taylor/Robert the highest, Sydney/Paul the lowest), but the negative comments under the video were more geared towards Nigel and TPTB. People liked Kaylee. They just hated the costume, the routine, trying to fit her into the stereotypical contemp box, etc.  People were more mad at TPTB on Kaylee's behalf.  I also think it might have benefitted Kaylee in week 1 that she was one of the more recognizable presences from auditions/Vegas week.  People remembered who she is.

It was also clear from her solo this week (and Nigel's reaction to it) that Kaylee 100% knows how to choreograph for herself - last week was a real mismatch between dancer and choreographer. And evidently Pharcide and Phoenix know how to choreograph for her, too. That number was amazing - Kaylee balancing on her hands on his shoulders had me screaming out loud at the screen! (I don't understand why they were dressed like Rebels in search of A Cause, though. The design for much of this episode was... interesting.) 

I mentioned it briefly up there but Koine & Marko were my (just by a hair, or an insect's wing) favorite tonight. I'd love for Sean Cheesman to choreograph every week. No matter the style, he always brings it and he always brings out the absolute best in his dancers. (I still adore his season 9 "Bring on the Men" for Janaya and Brandon.) 

Also really liked Sydney & Paul's contemporary - I thought Vanessa was very astute when she praised their "moments of stillness and silence." And Melissa Etheridge was a nice break in what always feels like eighty different remixes by whatever DJ they have an arrangement with for the season. (This is mostly perception, I know - but it just starts to sound the same to me after a while.) 

[LadyMustang65]

1 hour ago, lavenderblue said:

I found Marko and Koine's African jazz the most interesting number of the night, yet also found myself losing patience about two-thirds through. Not sure what went amiss for me -- it was just a case of a good thing feeling like it was extended slightly past the point of building to a great conclusion.

My husband and I had the same reaction to it, which I probably didn't explain well in my initial comments.  It was a fascinating piece, and out of the gate, we loved it.  But we too were more than ready for it to be over by the time it ended.  I honestly don't know what it was. 

[realdancemom]

12 minutes ago, LadyMustang65 said:

My husband and I had the same reaction to it, which I probably didn't explain well in my initial comments.  It was a fascinating piece, and out of the gate, we loved it.  But we too were more than ready for it to be over by the time it ended.  I honestly don't know what it was. 

I didn't have the same reaction to Marko and Koine's piece which I love.  However, I did have the same reaction to Mark and Comfort's piece.  I liked it and they moved really well.  After awhile, I was thinking that it was running too long and it should stop. 

Also, I'm going to also share the love for Bendy Boys like Jakob, Ricky, and Billy Bell.  I also really like Logan's flexibility and extensions.  But I also really like his strength and uniqueness.  He did a lot of strength moves in his solo and duet.  I like his alien moves in his Academy solo and I really like how he mixes break dance moves with his solos  His problem is the same as Lex.  They're young and don't have the maturity to get the characters right in pieces.  Agree with those that say the AT was not good.  Lex needed to be more masculine and sexy.  Also agree with the poster that said there was a canyon between Gabby and Lex.

Koine is a dark horse for this show.  Wonder if Travis might want to ask Taylor, Logan, and Koine to join Shaping Sound.  Would have mentioned Lex too if he wasn't already in it.

Edited August 16, 2017 by realdancemom

[WhineandCheez]

Quote

wasting 20 seconds at the end with the cash gun and the fur because they were short and didn't have enough time/skill to learn more steps.

Pffft, 20 seconds.  It felt to me like 10-20 minutes. And it wasn't even funny and didn't fit the dance's costumes, makeup or overall vibe.

[Tikichick]

2 hours ago, lavenderblue said:

I found Marko and Koine's African jazz the most interesting number of the night, yet also found myself losing patience about two-thirds through. Not sure what went amiss for me -- it was just a case of a good thing feeling like it was extended slightly past the point of building to a great conclusion. I haven't timed the dances; was it longer? That said, they're one of my favorite couples this season in terms of having a great connection as dancers right off the bat. Fik-Shun and Dassy are similarly well-matched.

Maybe this simply goes to a conspiracy-minded quality in me, but I'm legit beginning to wonder if the show took Kiki in exchange for Val C's becoming a regular choreographer. It's a win-win for Val, who lacks the outside show biz resume among DWTS pros that certainly someone like Derek Hough or even Mark Ballas has -- bolstering his credentials if he chooses to leave the show, as well as adding to his leverage there. Kiki in no way is the type of ballroom dancer this show has ever preferred, looking at the past smoldering types like Dmitry or Pasha and the more recent cute types a la Paul and Alan. Kiki is kinda hipster dorky, has no chemistry with Jenna (and no one in the show has even tried to argue much that he does), and is barely passable in other styles. And knowing now that the contestants are changing styles each week, Jenna NEVER needed a ballroom partner. By conventional narratives, she would have taken Konkrete, and I think there's a good chance that he'd have been a significantly smarter choice with voters and I don't think Jenna's too stupid to realize that. But instead, we get this highly convenient arrangement that in the past would've seemed like suicide even for the producers themselves (or he'd be cast purely as fodder, like a Nick Bloxsom-Carter) -- and instead, it's being propped up. Let's just say I won't be stunned if Kiki makes his "triumphant" return to the DWTS troupe over the next year, especially as the show's beginning to run low on male pros.

No idea about DWTS, haven't watched since maybe season 3 unless tuning in for certain choreographers doing special group numbers, which I don't even know if they have in the show anymore.  Jenna and the rest of the All Stars were given a contestant, period.  I suspect Kiki may be a little bit of an exchange of favors, but in reality I think when they know they have to cut dancers immediately they also made sure to cast some fodder to allow the audience time to invest in the dancers who will actually contend for the title.

[romantic idiot]

On 8/15/2017 at 9:28 AM, Mertseger said:

Sean's routine for Koine and Marko should be put up for an Emmy choreo nod next year. The lighting department is knocking it out of the park so far this year.

I liked the piece but also kept wondering how a nice Kathak piece would look with it. 

Examples of Kathak below:

19 hours ago, Kira53 said:

Maybe she has new writers and she always had writers, just different writers.

Could be. A couple of borderline remarks to Mary for sure I felt. Not the warm Cat of previous years.

19 hours ago, Kira53 said:

 I too would like to see a new Bollywood choreographer if nothing more than for a better narrative about the rehearsal. I know it's a short dance but someone else could bring something else to it. Why not make a big thing and bring somebody over from India? That would be a new narrative.   Not just somebody from India, but someone who does a lot of current Bollywood choreography for all of the movies that they make. I would even like somebody who wants to try to re-create the ending of that movie Where are the people who really didn't dance that much where in the train station dancing as part of their life story. Somebody else I'm sure I can remember the name of the movie.

And not sure the show can afford a good Bollywood choreographer who is currently working well in the movies.

Also  by the movie do you mean Slumdog Millionaire? Because the choreograph on that was just. No. 

See how much more dynamic Chaiyya Chaiyya manages to be even which much tighter confines in terms of space and movement. 

14 hours ago, Cuatro1234 said:

Jakob Karr (my all-time favorite) 

I keep hoping every year they'll have him on.

37 minutes ago, realdancemom said:

I didn't have the same reaction to Marko and Koine's piece which I love.  However, I did have the same reaction to Mark and Comfort's piece.  I liked it and they moved really well.  After awhile, I was thinking that it was running too long and it should stop. 

I felt like that way for both Mark and Koine and I think it was the music in both cases. It didn't build, stayed at the same level which made it feel a little never-ending.. 

[Kira53]

Romantic Idiot,  i'm sure you're right I really didn't think about the cost of a very skilled choreographer in Bollywood movies would be very expensive. Which makes the point that some of the lousy choreography is  they're not paying the highest amount. In fact this TV show is extremely budgeted these days with its lower viewership. I still think in some genres maybe they could give somebody new a chance.   I'm sure the problem for them would be would that new person play ball with them and make it easier for contestants that the producers are backing and possibly make it more difficult for contestants that the producers feel should be fodder?   

 The dance styles and the costumes for Lex are probably designed to keep him from automatic front runner status. The problem is that it could keep him from winning the same way that the criticism of Danny early in season three could not be overcome despite his incredible dance talents.  The storylines they create are often so manipulative of the audience that when they want that person to change into a winners edit it just doesn't change.   In Danny's season, I think the producers wanted him to be in the bottom so that he would have to "dance for his life" and do a solo. Back then only the bottom dancers did solos. So thank goodness that's not the current format and we can see the most excellent,  creative and unique Lex do a solo every week and he doesn't have to be thrown into the bottom three because of manipulation. That said, having him tap  (dancing out of is style) did not show why he is so phenomenal. I said before that the Argentine tango not only wasn't his dance but I thought the choreography was deliberately weak for the male partner.   In addition, generally Argentine tango would be an assigned style for later when partnerships truly have become developed. Let's see when it comes up again, if ever. 

Edited August 17, 2017 by Kira53

[sweetcookieface]

Finally catching up. My favorite routine of the night was Marko/Koine - the choreography was unique (more Cheesman, please) and beautifully executed. I also enjoyed Comfort/Mark, Cyrus/Kaylee, and, to a lesser extent, Allison/Logan. Favorite solos were Logan, Lex and Robert.

Overall, my favorite remains Lex, based solely on the promise he showed during the audition rounds (I didn't like the tap or tango - well, at least his part in the tango; Gaby was good). As others have mentioned, Logan may be a dark horse - there's something about his style (perhaps the aforementioned bendiness) that I find really appealing. Mark is also strong and seems pretty versatile, so I can see him going far (even if his mugging gets a bit annoying). I think Koine is probably the best of the women, but there's something about her that leaves me a bit cold. I actually like Kaylee's movement quite a bit.

The ones who don't even register for me are Kiki and Sydney. I'm annoyed Robert left before them - I think he brought something unique to the competition.

As a totally aside, I have to say how pleased I am to see so many POC represented in the competition (among other things, three Asian contestants in the top 10!).

[sharifa70]

7 hours ago, romantic idiot said:

See how much more dynamic Chaiyya Chaiyya manages to be even which much tighter confines in terms of space and movement. 

I keep hoping every year they'll have him on.

 I would die of happiness if they scored a Farah Khan piece! It'll never happen, but a girl can dream.....

Also: "Chaiyya Chaiyya" is one of my all-time favorite videos. Thanks for sharing!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

14 hours ago, Tikichick said:

My DVR went AWOL a half hour into the episode, shut off and restarted, leaving me with only the last 20-ish seconds of Kiki and Jenna's hip hop #.  I was thinking I must have missed the amazing bits by the judges' comments and the dancers' attitudes that they had served it up steaming hot.  From the comments here I'm thinking that the 20 seconds I did see was representative of the number as a whole after all.

 

12 hours ago, lavenderblue said:

I found Marko and Koine's African jazz the most interesting number of the night, yet also found myself losing patience about two-thirds through. Not sure what went amiss for me -- it was just a case of a good thing feeling like it was extended slightly past the point of building to a great conclusion. I haven't timed the dances; was it longer?

FYI - all the dances are posted on page 1 of the episode thread.

Some of Jenna and Kiki's hip hop had dancing but yeah, that last twenty seconds was a fair representation of the entire routine in that they didn't really do anything.

You can check the time stamps on the videos but yes, they're all the same length, give or take a few seconds.

[slaterain]

17 hours ago, romantic idiot said:

I felt like that way for both Mark and Koine and I think it was the music in both cases. It didn't build, stayed at the same level which made it feel a little never-ending.. 

THIS!!! I think the problem was the music in both cases but especially the African Jazz number. It was the same problem I had with Travis' number (was it last week) that was acapella. I kept waiting for some change to it - or crescendo to cap it off. 

[Tikichick]

14 hours ago, Kira53 said:

Romantic Idiot,  i'm sure you're right I really didn't think about the cost of a very skilled choreographer in Bollywood movies would be very expensive. Which makes the point that some of the lousy choreography is  they're not paying the highest amount. In fact this TV show is extremely budgeted these days with its lower viewership. I still think in some genres maybe they could give somebody new a chance.   I'm sure the problem for them would be would that new person play ball with them and make it easier for contestants that the producers are backing and possibly make it more difficult for contestants that the producers feel should be fodder?   

 The dance styles and the costumes for Lex are probably designed to keep him from automatic front runner status. The problem is that it could keep him from winning the same way that the criticism of Danny early in season three could not be overcome despite his incredible dance talents.  The storylines they create are often so manipulative of the audience that when they want that person to change into a winners edit it just doesn't change.   In Danny's season, I think the producers wanted him to be in the bottom so that he would have to "dance for his life" and do a solo. Back then only the bottom dancers did solos. So thank goodness that's not the current format and we can see the most excellent,  creative and unique Lex do a solo every week and he doesn't have to be thrown into the bottom three because of manipulation. That said, having him tap  (dancing out of is style) did not show why he is so phenomenal. I said before that the Argentine tango not only wasn't his dance but I thought the choreography was deliberately weak for the male partner.   In addition, generally Argentine tango would be an assigned style for later when partnerships truly have become developed. Let's see when it comes up again, if ever. 

As far as Danny goes, I honestly think he had a genuine disconnect from the audience, so much so it was able to override the fact he was tremendously talented.  Having met him in person I can say, do not adjust your television set.  I found him arrogant, rude and very offputting.  I have met several of the dancers featured on the show over the seasons.  Only one other gave off any arrogant vibe whatsoever, although he also was career conscious enough to keep it within tighter boundaries.  (Note, in none of the situations was I looking for a selfie, autograph, attempting to stop them for a chat, etc.  All were within the context of master classes, dance conventions and the like.)

I'm sure the show pays more to bring in the "name" choreographers who are sought after in the industry -- Nappytabs, Mia Michaels, Mandy Moore.  I know someone who has submitted many auditions to choreo for the show it is not really the paycheck he's hoping to get, so much as having the show help him have more automatic name recognition in the industry -- along with being able to leverage the TV credit into a higher fee for his normal gigs, which is mostly choreographing competitive solos and group numbers for dance competitions, and even choreographing large production numbers for annual dance recitals of studios he has connections with.

[Jynnan tonnix]

19 hours ago, LadyMustang65 said:

My husband and I had the same reaction to it, which I probably didn't explain well in my initial comments.  It was a fascinating piece, and out of the gate, we loved it.  But we too were more than ready for it to be over by the time it ended.  I honestly don't know what it was. 

I adored the entire thing and literally jumped up and applauded when it was over, but when going back to the clips to refresh my memory on some of the dances, I didn't want to watch it again. Weird. It's as though it wore me out and I'm not quite ready for a second go-round. The music as much the dancing contributed to that. 

I think that this and Kaylee/Cyrus were my favorites of the night. And the only other one I really remember enjoying was the Broadway number because I'm just a sucker for anything even remotely Gene Kelly-esque.

Wanted to like the AT, as I love the style, and Lex/Gaby, but it was very awkward. I'm thinking that maybe since Lex appears to have a slid fan base off the earlier rounds right now, and he seems to be among the front-runners, they are getting some of the things out of the way that he might not excel at, and if he ends up in the bottom three they can still keep him safe. Then build a redemption arc with more stuff in his fairly substantial wheelhouse.

Surprised to see Logan in the bottom three and glad he was safe. Neither Robert nor Sydney did all that much for me, though I'd probably have kept her over him. Logan is one of my favorites, though. Guess I'm a fan of the "bendy boys" as well. There's such an elegance to his lines.

[Jobiska]

On 8/16/2017 at 2:04 PM, Pollypam said:

Is no one going to talk about Fik-shun's amazing afro? Or the way he kept affectionally patting it?

I thought he was trying to keep the wig on his head!  But yes, amazing!

[Duke Silver]

Look, I liked Robert just fine, but I can't lament losing him as a dancer (Jasmine yes, for sure, I will miss seeing her more).  Having said that...WTF?  I thought for sure Kiki would be the one going home.  He's boring AF.  I assume the online dance community machine is gonna vote like crazy for him or something?  I can't fathom any other reason why he's still around.

My fav couple is still Dassy & Fik-shun, and I just don't see that changing anytime soon (unless they are made to do a ballroom routine, LOL).

I agree with the apparent consensus that Koine & Mark had the best dance this week, as well I am throwing :sideeye: at the Jenna/Kiki number.  That was embarrassing to watch.

[MissSunshine]

On 8/14/2017 at 8:52 PM, LexieLily said:

I want to very gently tell Logan that Allison is married with two children, not to mention ten years older than him.

what do you mean? Logan is gay I'm pretty sure

[crossover]

1 hour ago, MissSunshine said:

what do you mean? Logan is gay I'm pretty sure

I thought I saw somewhere that he and Sydney were an item like Lex and Taylor???

[Mason]

46 minutes ago, crossover said:

I thought I saw somewhere that he and Sydney were an item like Lex and Taylor???

Huh????!!! These kids have time to hook up? Or do these relationship predate the show?

[MissSunshine]

On 8/15/2017 at 9:46 AM, spanana said:

I think Kaylee has a lot more fan support than people think, and it's not all Cyrus.  People liked Kaylee. 

Agreed. Exhibit A: she is my mother's favorite who is in her 50s

[Miss Dee]

She's mine too, among the girls. Had God endowed me with the talent for dance, I would favour an androgynous to masculine style. No HMV for me!

I am also a fan of the Bendy Boys, so I love Logan. And Lex. Koine and Dassy would round out my top 5.

[dcalley]

The Broadway choreographer said his dance was inspired by classic film noir, and I spent pretty much the whole routine wondering Does he know what film noir even is? because I didn't see it at all. I need to stop watching the "this dance is about..." intros. The first top 10 show was nice because it didn't have any explanations.

ETA: I didn't think Robert should have gone first, but he chose Chris Brown for his solo music, so I don't care as much now!

Edited September 14, 2017 by dcalley