S14.E13: Top 6 Perform

[Drogo]

Each dancer has another opportunity to impress the judges and fight for the nation's vote before some are cut.

[displayname]

Haven't been really watching, but if Lex is really hurt because of the disco, then I don't know what I'll say.

 

 

Ugh, if he can't dance next week...

Edited September 12, 2017 by fan94

[Quickbeam]

Show runs too late for me to watch....who was cut? 

[spanana]

On what planet can Kiki keep up with any of the others in the Top 5? His choreography outside of ballroom is so dumbed down and then Mary starts screaming about him and putting him on hot tamale trains over the stiffest non jazz I've about ever seen on this show.  All of his numbers look like some version of ballroom partnering.  He can't even do a basic leap, but it's all good because why do you need to do any actual non ballroom dance moves when you can hide behind Jenna and get fawned over.

The others aren't perfect but watching Nigel come up with reasons to critique Logan's emotion while giving Kiki nothing but praise is ridiculous.

This show sucks, but not surprising.  

And while Lex didn't have a great night overall, I sincerely hope he didn't injure himself badly over that stupid disco.

[displayname]

I thought Lex kept up admirably in both his routines, and really sold the Samba. He was the only one to not get his genre even once tonight, since Kiki got the "jazz" which was basically ballroom-lite. I thought he was good in the disco, considering that it probably injured him.

 

 

I like Kiki, but it was his time to go. The only thing I liked about his previous week was his solo.

Edited September 12, 2017 by fan94

[lyric]

6 minutes ago, Quickbeam said:

Show runs too late for me to watch....who was cut? 

Kaylee and Logan.  Yes, LOGAN.  :(

Lex's solo was stunning

Edited September 12, 2017 by lyric

[Quickbeam]

1 minute ago, lyric said:

Kaylee and Logan.  Yes, LOGAN.  :(

Oh no. That's awful. He's fantastic.... 

[Laurie4H]

Nigel usually based his critique on who gets voted off.  That's why he talked about Logans emotion but praised Kiki.  I don't think him or Gena were great in the jazz routine.

[spanana]

54 minutes ago, Laurie4H said:

Nigel usually based his critique on who gets voted off.  That's why he talked about Logans emotion but praised Kiki.  I don't think him or Gena were great in the jazz routine.

I don't think that is the only reason. He hasn't critiqued Kiki once all season. Literally the only slight critique Kiki got was on week 1.  Since then every week we are told how amazing he is at everything.  I also feel like there is some cross something or other to get his ass back on DWTS. Not this season but if I hear one more time about how he deserves a shot on DWTS, a show he was on years ago and got fired from, but of course that won't be mentioned.

Edited because DWTS and SYTYCD are not the same thing.

Edited September 12, 2017 by spanana

[HZAnita]

So sad.  I really liked Logan.  I guess it's Lex for the win for me, although I do like all of the other dancers except for Kiki.

[Andie1]

Yeah I thought that Koine getting so much ballroom she was going to be Kiki's showpiece for the finale.  It bugs that she's being used for this purpose but at least she is there, and frankly the most deserving.  The one who also should be there is Logan.   

That was a train wreck for Lex tonight,  but the guy is so far ahead in votes and tongue baths that he'll emerge victorious.  He got injured which isn't fun, but he was down right scary trying to lift, the guy is really really bad at partnering.  Koine holy shit, I would be very nervous with this guy for a partner but she just went for it, as always gives it her all.  Lex hasn't improved at all in that department, whereas Logan was sure and steady centered in all of his routines. 

Sad that Logan goes and that horrible stiff dancer Kiki has to stay. Ugh, he's one note, he has absolutely no flexibility. He was off time on the Bollywood and the Jazz was just awful by any description.  It's a crime that Logan goes. 

I was pissed they wasted a Keone and Mari choreography on Robert and Taylor,  Marko and Koine would have smashed it.  It just felt too long and slow for me to really get into it.  However I kind of really loved the lingerie routine and Koine is the only girl on the show who could have done it.

So I am happy Koine gets another week.  She will probably be 4th over all, but at least she is in the final flight.

[Laurie4H]

It always seems that they don't back the best dancers.  I don't know what the judges  angle is.

[jcmm]

 IN my opinion. I thought that Lex and Koine would have done justice to a Keone and Mari routine and it would have saved Lex from injury.  Doriana Sanchez should be banned from doing choreography for this show.  This is a dance show - not dead weight lifting.  Her routines are usually risky and rarely entertaining.  I have enjoyed all of the dancers and appreciate their different talents but for me Lex is special and so far the only time he has been able to dance his "style" is in his solos.  His dancing captivates me and I hope his injury is not serious.

Edited September 12, 2017 by jcmm

[Andie1]

2 minutes ago, Laurie4H said:

It always seems that they don't back the best dancers.  I don't know what the judges  angle is.

My guess is Taylor or a family or friend is some big benefactor to the Dizzyfeet foundation,  because I just don't get it. She gets the choreographers who draw votes.  Kiki has that damn Dance With Me Chmerkovskiy franchise backing him to get him back on a show he was fired from,  and Lex... probably just a freak of nature, and yet Logan is better because he's cleaner at his technique, and knows the mechanics of lifts. 

38 minutes ago, lyric said:

Kaylee and Logan.  Yes, LOGAN.  :(

Lex's solo was stunning

I  preferred Logan's solo to Lex's tonight.  The guy was robbed.

[displayname]

2 minutes ago, Andie1 said:

and yet Logan is better because he's cleaner at his technique, and knows the mechanics of lifts. 

I agree that Logan is better at lifts, but I think Lex's injury might've made it worse?

 

I think Lex knows how to be clean, but his personal style doesn't really push for him to be clean as much as it pushes him to embody all the music there is in the songs he dances to. Even in the Desmond/Dwight piece, I thought that all the three dancers were dancing with their own individual styles.

[spanana]

I don't think Lex is fabulous at partnering and he wasn't great in his samba, but I'm not wholly ready to blame the disco mess solely on his shoulders.  Doriana's routines generally seem needlessly dangerous and rarely do they come off well. Lex clearly injured himself during that dance due to all the absolutely ridiculous lifting that did nothing to add to the dance.  He also seemed to have more than one injury.  While he seemed to be holding his arm and saying something about a rotator cuff, he also limped/hopped off stage.  I wish they would stop bringing Doriana on the show.

[Andie1]

6 minutes ago, fan94 said:

think Lex knows how to be clean, but his personal style doesn't really push for him to be clean as much as it pushes him to embody all the music there is in the songs he dances to

For me, get the technique cold, then go freestylin.  It's  simply not okay to put a partner in danger.  Logans solo tonight was all kinds of beautiful and he was just using his musicality to flow nearly falling off his movement but always in control.

Edited September 12, 2017 by Andie1

[displayname]

Well, I guess it's personal preference. ^__^ Solos determine how much I like a dancer, sometimes even more than duets.

 

Also, it could be that his rotator cuffs have always been a problem for him. I'm not sure.

Edited September 12, 2017 by fan94

[Andie1]

2 minutes ago, spanana said:

Doriana's routines generally seem needlessly dangerous and rarely do they come off well. Lex clearly injured himself during that dance due to all the absolutely ridiculous lifting that did nothing to add to the dance.  He also seemed to have more than one injury.

While I agree Doriana's routines are kind of hideous, Lex has not been a good partner throughout the season. He somehow gets nervous doing partner work and he telegraphs every movement, right down to an awkward kiss with his supposed gf.  As a male dancer with ballet training I am surprised he is not secure doing partner work.  As for injury, I just think he's not in the right head space with a partner. He's a soloist, and strong in group routines which is great, but there are duets on this show.

[GeminiDancer]

I didn't catch all of the routines, but wow was Lex really bad at the disco routine. I was really worried for Koine that he was going to drop her, more than once.

After seeing that fabulousness that was Call Me Mother, I was so disappointed in Mark's choreography for Logan and Taylor. That routine did absolutely nothing for me at all. Taylor and Kiki can get off my screen yesterday.

[RedSoxRock]

What was up with Mary's outfit tonight? They just get worse and worse. 

[jewel21]

I'm so mad we're stuck with Kiki next week instead of Logan. Grrr.

I really hope Lex isn't badly injured. I was very worried seeing him limp off the stage. Then Robert coming up at the end and hugging Taylor and practically dragging Lex along with him made me worry even more. Hopefully he can perform next week.

[Andie1]

It's horrible to see Lex injured because he has been the guy to beat all season.  I hope he can perform next week because it would be awful to have a repeat of season 7 when Alex Wong got hurt.   Lex is the presumptive favorite nobody likes to win by default.

[Andie1]

12 minutes ago, GeminiDancer said:

 

After seeing that fabulousness that was Call Me Mother, I was so disappointed in Mark's choreography for Logan and Taylor. That routine did absolutely nothing for me at all. Taylor and Kiki can get off my screen yesterday

Excellent point. Mark Kanemura is hit and miss.  When he does the vogue club style he's on fire, but some of his other stuff is just not great, especially when the dancers aren't really understanding their choreography.  I thought Nigel had to mention Mark's other choreography because he didn't like this one but it's Taylor up there so he wanted to stay positive.   I thought Taylor and Logan just seemed disjointed and it didn't create anything but busy hands.   a forgettable routine.

[displayname]

No more Disco and Bollywood on this show, please. The only Bollywood I've ever liked was the one with Alex and Jaja, and that was because Jaja can act. Kiki and Kaylee made good characters, though. I can't name a single Disco I've liked, and they seem hazardous, no matter how strong the dancers are.

 

A pretty disappointing night, outside of Koine/Mark and Kaylee/Cyrus.

Edited September 12, 2017 by fan94

[crossover]

1 hour ago, Laurie4H said:

Nigel usually based his critique on who gets voted off.  That's why he talked about Logans emotion but praised Kiki.  I don't think him or Gena were great in the jazz routine.

Nigel usually base his critiques on who the show decided should move on.

[Andie1]

I can do without the Bollywood, but I really enjoyed the disco group routine this year.  Disco can be worth it if there's 3 lifts instead of 6, some side by side partnering to show personality, and a little more fun with the Hustle.  It's a social dance so it's corny but the right choreographer can make it work.  

[displayname]

11 hours ago, Andie1 said:

I can do without the Bollywood, but I really enjoyed the disco group routine this year.  Disco can be worth it if there's 3 lifts instead of 6, some side by side partnering to show personality, and a little more fun with the Hustle.  It's a social dance so it's corny but the right choreographer can make it work.  

If the Lex/Koine routine were just the two of them goofing off, that would have been great, especially to show off their personalities more. But that's never happened (except in that one group routine, you're right). So, I'd rather it were kept off. Why not replace these two styles with something like House or Lindy-Hop? If we simply must have them at least once per season, then let's have House and Lindy-Hop. Or Hustle. Or West Coast Swing. Anything but disconnected leaping and knee turns with an unapparent story (am I talking about Contemporary?) and anything but trying to out-spin mirror balls with an electro-fied power ballad playing in the background.

Edited September 12, 2017 by fan94

[crossover]

59 minutes ago, Andie1 said:

Yeah I thought that Koine getting so much ballroom she was going to be Kiki's showpiece for the finale.  It bugs that she's being used for this purpose but at least she is there, and frankly the most deserving.  The one who also should be there is Logan.   

That was a train wreck for Lex tonight,  but the guy is so far ahead in votes and tongue baths that he'll emerge victorious.  He got injured which isn't fun, but he was down right scary trying to lift, the guy is really really bad at partnering.  Koine holy shit, I would be very nervous with this guy for a partner but she just went for it, as always gives it her all.  Lex hasn't improved at all in that department, whereas Logan was sure and steady centered in all of his routines. 

Sad that Logan goes and that horrible stiff dancer Kiki has to stay. Ugh, he's one note, he has absolutely no flexibility. He was off time on the Bollywood and the Jazz was just awful by any description.  It's a crime that Logan goes. 

I was pissed they wasted a Keone and Mari choreography on Robert and Taylor,  Marko and Koine would have smashed it.  It just felt too long and slow for me to really get into it.  However I kind of really loved the lingerie routine and Koine is the only girl on the show who could have done it.

So I am happy Koine gets another week.  She will probably be 4th over all, but at least she is in the final flight.

Put me in mind of Heidi S2.  She was used as a partner to make others look good.  She ended 4th.

Agree about Lex also.  When I saw the styles he got, I said "How far ahead is he?"  I guess he's on the Melanie S8 level. 

I was so hoping Koine/Marko would've gotten the K&M hip hop as well.  Logan/Allison would've been my 2nd choice but I felt like they would get Dee.

Nigel should be happy.  The 4 they started off with the OTT praise in week 1 made the finals.  Taylor and Koine got the SOs.  Kiki got the HTT.   Lex got the HTT and SO.  I don't think they've ever had all 4 make it before.

[spanana]

20 minutes ago, crossover said:

Nigel usually base his critiques on who the show decided should move on.

Also while it may be crass, Nigel's critiques are often based off of his lower anatomy and what females he finds hot.

I don't mind if they keep disco as a style.  Just get somebody other than Doriana to choreograph. The dancers never have a chance to get into the cheesy fun of it because the whole thing is one big lift and they are too focused on just not killing themselves.

I'm fine with Bollywood, but would like to see more variety in those numbers as well.  

Edited September 12, 2017 by spanana

[crossover]

1 hour ago, fan94 said:

I thought Lex kept up admirably in both his routines, and really sold the Samba. He was the only one to not get his genre even once tonight, since Kiki got the "jazz" which was basically ballroom-lite. I thought he was good in the disco, considering that it probably injured him.

 

 

I like Kiki, but it was his time to go. The only thing I liked about his previous week was his solo.

I noticed this too.  This let you know that Lex must be running away with the votes.

[displayname]

4 minutes ago, crossover said:

Lex got the HTT and SO

Still can't believe that a tap routine got HTT'd.

[crossover]

1 hour ago, Laurie4H said:

It always seems that they don't back the best dancers.  I don't know what the judges  angle is.

They did back the best dancer.  I think Logan was the best this season but the experts say it's Lex.  The show has backed Lex from the auditions on.  The others were just to fill out an interesting show.  Thus, Kiki instead of Logan for variety, which I'm kinda happy about.

[crossover]

1 hour ago, jcmm said:

 IN my opinion. I thought that Lex and Koine would have done justice to a Keone and Mari routine and it would have saved Lex from injury.  Doriana Sanchez should be banned from doing choreography for this show.  This is a dance show - not dead weight lifting.  Her routines are usually risky and rarely entertaining.  I have enjoyed all of the dancers and appreciate their different talents but for me Lex is special and so far the only time he has been able to dance his "style" is in his solos.  His dancing captivates me and I hope his injury is not serious.

This is why I only thought Cyrus, Marko or Kiki would get the disco.  I narrowed it down to Cyrus because Kiki and Koine had already had 2 ballrooms routines.  I never thought they would give it to the chosen one.  I guess they want everyone to see how diverse Lex styles are.  It really doesn't matter about the diversity.  They were going to give him OTT praise regardless.

[displayname]

Yet another week where I found the solos to be better than most duets.

[crowceilidh]

Kiki should have gone out much much earlier.  I am so distressed at his presence in the top 4, esp over Logan and I keep wondering wtf it means.  That "jazz" was effing dire.  

[crossover]

1 hour ago, fan94 said:

Well, I guess it's personal preference. ^__^ Solos determine how much I like a dancer, sometimes even more than duets.

 

Also, it could be that his rotator cuffs have always been a problem for him. I'm not sure.

I'm always surprised to hear people say this.  Solos let you enjoy a dancer in his/her element.  To me, duets are the crux of the sytycd competition.  Working with a partner is more important than variety.  See S8 Melanie.

Edited September 12, 2017 by crossover

[displayname]

Hence why I said it's personal preference. And I think solos tell you a lot about the dancer, where sometimes duets can't. Even in the case of Lex, the solos told us about his personality when the show kept telling us how he didn't have one, by giving him routines that showcased Gaby.

 

And I think Lex is far, far more versatile than Melanie, and I think he's a better technician than her, too. Melanie's solos weren't all that special, with the exception of how she performed them, to me. Melanie couldn't dance just contemporary, she could dance just her very specific style of contemporary, with the slow movement. She couldn't even translate her movement to Jazz very well.

Edited September 12, 2017 by fan94

[crossover]

51 minutes ago, Andie1 said:

Excellent point. Mark Kanemura is hit and miss.  When he does the vogue club style he's on fire, but some of his other stuff is just not great, especially when the dancers aren't really understanding their choreography.  I thought Nigel had to mention Mark's other choreography because he didn't like this one but it's Taylor up there so he wanted to stay positive.   I thought Taylor and Logan just seemed disjointed and it didn't create anything but busy hands.   a forgettable routine.

They should've given this to Kaylee.

[crowceilidh]

I also thought that Gaby's desire for Lex to act like he is sexually devouring her was hilarious given how he actually danced.  If there's a dominant male somewhere inside Lex, it seems to be chained in the basement, whimpering.  Logan seemed more like a mature man dancing with Alison!

[crossover]

52 minutes ago, fan94 said:

No more Disco and Bollywood on this show, please. The only Bollywood I've ever liked was the one with Alex and Jaja, and that was because Jaja can act. Kiki and Kaylee made good characters, though. I can't name a single Disco I've liked, and they seem hazardous, no matter how strong the dancers are.

I've always liked the 1st bollywood--S4 Josh/Katee.  There will never be a disco as good as S5 Brandon/Janette.  I even liked Ade/Melissa's.  S1 and S3 had good disco routines but I don't think they were Doriana??  At least, S1 and S3 didn't have all the lifts.

[Nessie]

Overall, I was pretty underwhelmed by tonight's show.  The only dance I really liked was Koine and Marco's, which was beautiful and actually made me tear up at the end.  The disco just highlighted for me what a poor partner Lex is and then made me really worry about him, Mark's dance seemed really "Mark" to me and just basically made me miss Mark and want to go to YouTube and find all his old dances and watch them on a loop, and the Bollywood was probably the most I've liked Kaylee, but that's not saying much, as I haven't warmed up to her, as much as I've tried.

I am happy with the results, though.  I am thrilled Koine made it, very surprised about Kiki (but not unhappy), and very not-surprised about Lex and Taylor.  

Koine and Lex awkwardly speaking Japanese to each other was adorable and just made me love her more.  I was so happy she didn't go home after finding out her brother gave up his promising ice skating career for her dancing.  Funnily enough, that sentiment didn't extend to learning Kiki's brother had given up his dancing for him.

[Sd601]

Kiki has grown on me. I like his solos and I watched him more than Jenna last week. His turns are fast and crisp. But I don't think he's top 4 material at all. 

So I think on paper, lex and Gabby should have had a great partnership. Both have that quality that makes me watch them in group routines. I wasn't a huge Gabby fan her season, but I like her quality of movement in big routines--it's not big and flashy like Allison or sexy smooth like Jenna. Just something draws my eye. Obviously choreographers feel similarly, as both are often featured up front. But together they fall flat. Lex seems so awkward around her. Well, he's just awkward in general. Personally, i find it endearing, but I'm sure it's uncomfortable for others. Sasha was clapping for them after their samba, but didn't look super enthusiastic. I liked lex in it (thought Gabby looked stiff. Koine looked better last week), but I'm not any kind of ballroom expert. I had fun watching lex. 

Would Logan have benefited from waiting a year or two to audition for the show? Why does he seem so much younger? I like him in many routines, but I just wasn't compelled to watch him. I can't put my finger on why.

Was Kaylee off in the beginning dance? In a routine where one should blend in, I found her dancing stood out. I'm trying to decide what all-star I would have preferred with her: Joshua Allen? Twitch? Her dance style is unique, and I can't figure out who would best complement her. Definitely not Cyrus. I kinda liked Philip's routine tonight. 

I'm thrilled Koine is in the final. I like her. Not sure who I'm voting for yet. Taylor is meh. Pretty. Decent. But that's all I can say. Her routine with Robert was odd. I thought they didn't go all together. 

I'm still watching ?

[displayname]

Taylor and Logan's routine looked like some Coachella awfulness.

Allison outdanced... someone. Logan was there? Dressed in black? Against a dark background? Dancing behind Allison? 

Robert dancing... anything isn't something I like seeing, I've realized. Thank you, SYTYCD.

Unmemorable choreography. Can we have the All Stars choreograph routines next week? I'd like to see Jenna do something like what she did in the "Academy" with Kevin.

Edited September 12, 2017 by fan94

[crossover]

I was just the opposite when it comes to the contestant's solos.  If they didn't show personality, I wonder why would they want to compete.  If they can't show personality in their own solos, they probably won't in the other choreographers' works.  A lot of people use the solos as justification to vote for a contestant.  I don't because some dancers just have better choreography help.  Of course I like to see the dancers in their element.  But I see the solos as a tie breaker.   I use to use group performances as a tie breaker as well.  But they usually have a couple they want to spotlight.  So I just watch them for enjoyment.

Edited September 12, 2017 by crossover

[lyric]

3 minutes ago, crossover said:

I was just the opposite when it comes to the contestant's solos.  If they didn't show personality, I wonder why would they want to compete.  If they can't show personality in their own solos, they probably won't in the other choreographers' works.  A lot of people use the solos as justification to vote for a contestant.  I don't because some dancers just have better choreography help.  Of course I like to see the dancers in their element.  But I see the solos as a tie breaker.   I use to use group performances as a tie breaker as well.  But they usually have a couple they want to spotlight.  So I just watch them for enjoyment.

I like the solos because they can't be manipulated by production.

[displayname]

Well, actually, Mollee of season 6 has said that the producers very specifically told her to fill her solos up with tricks. :P

Lex was clearly injured when he did his solo, too. Just noticed his right foot (At least I think that's something to help a sprain). Loved his dancing in it, but it did have a lot less to look out for than his previous one. I hope his injuries don't hurt him with the votes too much. He wasn't filling out his movement in his Disco, which I haven't found to be a problem with him before. The pain must have made him extremely tentative.

Edited September 12, 2017 by fan94

[crossover]

25 minutes ago, fan94 said:

Taylor and Logan's routine looked like some Coachella awfulness.

Allison outdanced... someone. Logan was there? Dressed in black? Against a dark background? Dancing behind Allison? 

Robert dancing... anything isn't something I like seeing, I've realized. Thank you, SYTYCD.

Unmemorable choreography. Can we have the All Stars choreograph routines next week? I'd like to see Jenna do something like what she did in the "Academy" with Kevin.

I would like for the AS to be responsible for the choreography.  Jenna seems to be able to choreograph.  But I remember not liking several of the AS work--Allison, tWitch come to mind.  I think that's why people give Allison so much grief on dwts.  Her work for dwts just seem so busy.  If you know you're not good at it, get someone.

[crossover]

17 minutes ago, fan94 said:

Well, actually, Mollee of season 6 has said that the producers very specifically told her to fill her solos up with tricks. :P

Lex was clearly injured when he did his solo, too. Just noticed his right foot (At least I think that's something to help a sprain). Loved his dancing in it, but it did have a lot less to look out for than his previous one. I hope his injuries don't hurt him with the votes too much. He wasn't filling out his movement in his Disco, which I haven't found to be a problem with him before. The pain must have made him extremely tentative.

All Lex has to do is show up next week and he should be fine when it comes to voting.  People/judges have been with him since auditions.  They're not going to abandon him in the last week.  The judges may not can give the OTT praise but they'll have diarrhea of the mouth to justify whatever.

[Mertseger]

La Danse of the Lunch Ladies and the Theatre Crew Guys Playing Minecraft was a fantastic opening.

I do think the lighting department should be back in the Emmy nods next year. And congrats to the show for its return to dominance in the choreo category. 

I'm hopelessly praying that the Kiki and Lex voters will cancel each other out, and that Koine will sneak in there for the win. The Mandy and Elizabeth routine for Koine and Marko recalled the the Katee and Twitch door routine by Mia which is high praise, indeed.

I am, however, throwing a couple of votes to Taylor purely for Keone and Mari's choreography. I rage quit World of Dance when they lost to the Les Twins in that shambles of an episode and shan't return.

We still need a Mia and Wade face-off episode though Keona and Mari are rapidly rising in my all-time rankings.