SYTYCD Canada Top 16 Choreography Critiques
SYTYCD Top 16
The first piece that we saw was Emanuel and Kim’s Jazz routine by Blake. My opinion initially was that i agreed with the judges when they talked about how sexy the piece was. To the point that the technical aspects took a back seat. They have really good chemistry together but I don’t think that it’s as organic as some of the other partners. I loved the music selection and the sort of dirty magician story with Kim being the girl in the box. Kim is no joke-she wore those boots and it could have easily gone the other way. I can’t help but compare it to the Jayme Rae and Daniel piece in terms of sex appeal- I thought that Blakes choreography was more blatant and in your face than it really needed to be. The dancers themselves were fantastic. Emanuel is still showing his power and Kim is still showing her beautiful lines.
Next up were Vincent and Amy doing Hip Hop with a new choreographer Flii Stylz. I really wasn’t sure that this piece would be good, but it progressively got better and better through the piece. I think that once Amy did the bit where she was lip-syncing is when they really hit their stride. The movements still could have hit harder and bigger but for what it was they did really well. Although I don’t think that it will be a piece that is easily remembered, which is a shame.
Corynne and Austin who were a new pair together got a little luck and not only pulled Contemporary but they got Stacey Tookey on top of it. I’ve always thought that Austin could go far if only he found the right partner and I think that third times a charm. Corynne and Austin have an instant connection and trust with each other. This piece was heavy with one dancer moving their body and the other reacting to it. Sometimes when dancers attempt that- it can really show awkwardness between the dancers- that wasn’t the case with this piece. I thought that they danced it with emotion and honesty. Austin still got his tricks in but Corynne is such a strong dancer in her own right that it didn’t get distracting. Their synchronization was perfect for the whole piece and I always got the feeling that they were constantly aware of each other the whole time. That isn’t a small feat either. It was also the first piece where the dancers were in the pocket of the music, I haven’t seen that enough so far this season. After 3 episodes I think that we’ve found our first stand out couple. Mark my words- they will go far in this competition.
The Mambo was the dance that Cody and Melanie chose with Gustavo Vargas as the choreographer. This piece was cute. I don’t really know what else to say about it. It wasn’t particularly sexy, but it was cute. Not to say that that is a bad thing either- I just think that somehow Cody needs to convince the audience that he can be more of an Alpha Male when needed. The Mambo as a style is great and not a discipline that we see all the time either. So I liked this piece- was it technically amazing? Not really. But it wasn’t a technical disaster either. It was a fun and light mambo.
Oh God. It was bound to happen. The Kiss Of Death- Quickstep. Everett and TaraJean were the dancers that chose it and lucked out with the choreographer of Pierre Allaire. Not to say that just because a partnership chooses a more difficult dance that they should be given any consessions but I was relieved to hear it when Mr Allaire stated that there wasn’t a story it was just dancing for dance sake. The Quick Step is enough on its own- without some complicated back story. Tara-Jean has legs that could take us all into next week and Everett isn’t a slouch either. Considering the amount of rehearsal time the dancers are allowed and the fact that you essentially have to learn how to float and glide on stage- they did a great job. The lifts were beautiful and difficult. I think that this could have totally fallen but they both really committed to the style.
The amazing Luther Brown got his turn with Jayme Rae and Daniel in a hip hop piece. Holy sexual chemistry. Let’s just get that out of the way. Daniel dancing without a shirt also doesn’t hurt the situation. But from the second and I know THE SECOND that Jayme Rae stepped on stage she was committed to that piece. From start to finish it was so sexy. They could have been wearing snow suits and it would have been just as sexy. The biggest difference between this hip-hop piece and the first one was that the technique didn’t take a back burner to the smoldering chemistry between the two. They were raw in the moves and they both danced the piece really really well. I think that we have another couple that have stepped up their game. Daniel is a beautiful dancer and so quietly powerful. I’d like to see them do a pas de deux at some point, because they would be amazing in a classic style of dance.
I was thrilled to see Benji Schwimmer as the choreographer for Nicolas and JennaLynn with the Hustle. I love Benji’s style and choreography in general because he has an ability to modernize any style of dance. That was the case once again with this Hustle. The Hustle is a little bit of a couple styles: Salsa foot work and some Swing influence put that to some 1970s pop and you have the Hustle. I thought that piece overall was good- not great. It was quite uneven and I didn’t think that the dancers believed in themselves enough to really blow it out of the water. I like the couple though- I think that they make each other stronger together and the partnering together was top notch.
Finally Natalie and Danny brought out a Rumba to end the evening. Gustavo Vargas was the King of Latin tonight and as a choreographer he really lived up to the title. I like his style and interpretation of music. I liked this piece more than I usually like the Rumba. For some reason I have a hard time with the rhythm behind the Rumba but I liked this piece. I didn’t agree with the judges when they said that Danny needs to believe in his talent more- I got the opposite feeling from him. Both Natalie and Danny were great in this piece- however on the heels of that someone should suggest to Natalie to keep her tongue in her mouth. That seems like a weird critique- but she’s been doing it the whole time and it’s distracting.
That’s it! Top 14 next week!
