SYTYCD 7: Dancer Analysis – Robert Roldan
Another twelve hours, another post. In this case it’s the “dark horse” in the competition. This is the dancer that’s been to the Bottom Three the most of the Top Four, but he has been growing slowly then plateauing and then growing again. He desperately needed a week like last week in order to remain in the competition and he did.
Previous posts in this series: All-Stars, Kent Boyd and Lauren Froderman
Like in the last few posts there is a poll at the bottom asking which of Robert’s dances is your favorite.
Las Vegas Callbacks
Almost nothing was mentioned about Robert during the Vegas episodes. I know I don’t remember him. In the past when almost nothing was mentioned about a dancer, it usually means that the producers believe that the dancer’s dance ability would speak to itself and their personality would shine through the screen on it’s own without television’s aid in editing… let’s see how that works.
Meet the Top 11:
– Wade Robson’s Jazz
Now for some reason Robert did not stand out for me in this piece, which is not a bad thing, but not a good thing either.
– Sonya Tayeh Jazz
In this piece Robert didn’t stick out to me in dance ability as much as his look, but then again all three guys have varying looks to them… but because he didn’t really wow me in this piece and with minimal information about him during Vegas it’s very difficult for me to get a handle on this guy.
Week 1: Top 11 Performances:
– African Jazz w/ Courtney choreographed by Sean Cheesman
Honestly I don’t remember this piece, I had to watch it again to remember it, and even then I still am pretty ambivalent towards the piece. The most I could remember thinking is that Robert is very technically proficient and can connect with his partners, but he seems to be more like a moving work of art instead of connecting with the audience.
Week 2: Top 10 Performances:
– Argentine Tango w/ Anya choreographed by Jean Marc Genereux
This dance was insanely technically proficient, but what set me off was that it seemed to show on Robert’s face just how stressful the dance was. He did the dance well, but it didn’t show and that didn’t help his dancing in the end. If Robert would just relax and live in the dance this would have been so much better. So despite a strong routine I think Robert’s face pulled him to the Bottom 3 this week.
Week 3: Top 9 Performances:
– Jazz w/ Courtney choreographed by Sonya Tayeh
This is the second time that Robert does a Jazz routine by Sonya Tayeh with Courtney as a partner (well if you count the Meet the Top 11 dance). This wasn’t a particular memorable routine for me and apparently the audience as he was in the Bottom 3 this week as well.
Week 4: Top 8 Performances:
– Jazz w/ Kathryn choreographed by Sean Cheesman
Ah yes the Bob and Kathie (Ken and Barbie) routine. I really liked the routine. The transformation from plastic to movement and back to plastic was perfect. He connected with his partner really well and it was fun.
– Quickstep w/ Ashley choreographed by Jean Marc Genereux
Ah yes, the kiss of death. There’s a reason (ok many reasons) why the quickstep is the dance that people would dread. It is the most technically strenuous dance for anyone. Robert wasn’t a very strong lead for Ashley, but she wasn’t back-leading either… so that’s a credit to Robert.
All in all this was a high/low week for Robert. I think the main reason that he didn’t hit the Bottom 3 this week was by the charisma of the first routine. Which was really really good as opposed to the quickstep bringing him down…
Week 5: Top 7 Performances:
– Contemporary w/ Allison choreographed by Travis Wall
He knocked this one out of the park. There is no doubt about that. But it was probably very easy to get into the emotional element of the piece because he was able to relate to it. There’s really nothing to be said about the technical side of it since Robert is very proficient in it.
– Disco w/ Kathryn choreographed by Doriana Sanchez
It’s about time the show got wise and put in an All-Star to replace an injured dancer… anyway. He looked like he had a lot of fun, granted he had a lot of chemistry with Kathryn so that might have helped.
Do he grow? It’s hard to say, I believe he is learning to enjoy dancing rather than just simply dancing and not showing it. The audience responds more to someone that shows that they are enjoying what they are doing. So I guess in that regards, yeah, he’s growing in that capacity.
Week 6: Top 6 Performances (Round One):
– Jazz w/ Lauren Gottlieb choreographed by Tyce Diorio
Considering this is Robert’s third time doing a Jazz routine… well Robert is doing well and growing in presense and chemistry which is finally beginning to happen. I think this is the first time I’ve seen him dance with some level of abandon rather than being really controlled.
– Samba w/ Lauren Froderman choreographed by Dmitry Chaplin
Did he drink Dmitry’s blood or something? Because I agree that he reminded me a lot of Dmitry. Whether that’s a good or bad thing is entirely up in the air, but I think for the current purpose it’s a good thing. He picked up the choreography pretty well and he had fun doing it.
If there is anything that Robert grew in this week it’s being able to dance with abandon, or rather getting lost in the dance. By doing that he’s allowing himself to enjoy and live in the moment and he really needed it here.
Week 7: Top 6 Performances (Round Two):
– Contemporary w/ Kathryn McCormick choreographed by Stacey Tookey
O.M.G. Totally a “breakout” performance for Robert in this piece. Everything that he was lacking early in the season he had in abundance in this dance and it showed. It moved me more than his contemporary piece with Allison and it had more abandon and looseness than the previous week.
– Bollywood w/ Billy Bell choreography by Nakul Dev Mahajan
Wow, and Robert’s technique and precision strikes a home run again. Between Billy and Robert, Robert definitely fit the dance better. Being healthy helps to, but somehow Robert just seemed to have shined in this piece for me.
I don’t know what to say really except that after how many stellar weeks Robert really needed a week like this one to keep himself out of the Bottom Three. I think it is almost guaranteed that had he found himself in the Bottom Three this week he would definitely be going home… If ever there was a “breakout” week, this one is it.
How to Grow
Honestly, I don’t know. Robert snuck up on me so subtly that I wasn’t expecting it to be like this. Before the last week I had pegged Robert as to be the one going home with Jose, but now I don’t know. To put it very simply, Robert did not become memorable to me until the last three routines… and that’s saying something.
Robert isn’t strong in every dance style, plus he has managed to avoid HipHop, so let’s start with there. Robert needs to get HipHop preferably with Twitch and he needs to nail it. Once he nails that then he needs to get ballroom like a Viennese Waltz or Argentine Tango or Paso Doble and nail that…
In Conclusion
Robert’s the “dark horse” in this competition. Of the top four Robert has been to the Bottom Three the most, but with several stellar performances and a week like this past week he has every chance to over take the top threesome… moreso now that Lauren has slipped and hit Bottom Three for the first time. As long as he keeps it up, he should be ok, again should be.
you’re totally right on again! I think the thing that was so difficult about making his afro jazz memorable is that our only other reference on the show is Russell and Noelle last year, two dancers who made not have been the best technically, but had big personalities that really made the dance shine.
I loved his contemporary with Allison, it actually moved me more than the breast cancer routine from S5. The thing that made that dance so special was his connection to the subject matter, the thing that made his contemporary with Kathryn so special was his connection to his partner. They really have developed a beautiful chemistry as dancers.
I went back and watched the Bollywood again, and I agree that Robert was better. I think that bodes well for him if he “happens” to get hip hop this week because, as I think back, all the guys who have gotten Bollywood (Joshua, Jason, Nathan, Jose) were also strong in hip hop.
“Did he drink Dmitry’s blood or something?”
BAH HA HA, when I first read that line I thought of vampires. 😛
Anyways, there have been complaints about Robert usually getting styles similar to his own. NOT TRUE. I mean, yeah, he’s had a lot of jazz routines, just like Kent, but he’s also done Afro Jazz, Argentine Tango, Quickstep, Disco, Samba, and Bollywood. That’s a lot. My fave routine from him is his contemporary with Allison, because I knew that Robert could relate to it. I’ve seen the breast cancer routine, but I don’t think that there was much dancing involved. It was the concept that moved everybody. In Robert'[s contemp. with Allison, there was some actuak dancing involved. Even I cried, but then my older brother came in so I buried my face in my pillow and told him to get out. 🙂
Sorry for the spelling errors 😛 I was typing fast.
I think that Robert’s solos are my favorite things that Robert does. I really haven’t been a fan of much of his work. Marianya points out the “Barbie and Ken” piece and the Stacey Tookey routine as being standout pieces and I didn’t care for either. So that probably is why. He’s a great looking guy and an excellent technician, but he doesn’t translate well for my liking.
Out of the remaining 4, he’d be the only one that would disappoint me if he won.
To be clear, though, I don’t dislike him, I just don’t “feel” him as a dancer. He doesn’t make me light up when I see him. And I think part of that is because he’s been relatively stagnant to me for the duration of the competition.
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[…] twice. As always the previous posts in this series include: All-Stars, Kent Boyd, Lauren Froderman, Robert Roldan and Adechike […]
Marianya, I love that description of Robert: he’s a moving work of art! I love that! That’s what he is to me. I know everyone doesn’t “feel” Robert, but I do. I think he’s really grown, and I’ve loved watching him evolve and I love watching him dance. His “off-stage” persona is pretty goofy, but when he’s dancing, that’s a whole ‘nother story.
I think Robert’s a great dancer and it’s weird that he hasn’t been as appreciated as he should. I think he’s miles better than Adechike. I guess we will just have to see what happens.
Check out my blog post I wrote: It’s my Top 10 favorite SYTYCD performances of the season.
[…] It was perfect for him – it had story and character, which he does best. And he killed it!!! Marianya “prescribed” hip hop as what Robert needed to conquer next and boy did he!!! Ricky is predicting that he’ll […]
I love Robert. I’ve been watching SYTYCD since it’s very first show. Robert has done some good work, but my favorite dance he’s done this season was his first, the African Jazz routine. For those of you that don’t “feel” Robert, I challenge you to go back and watch that dance. There is a freedom in his movement hasn’t been matched in anything he’s done sense. And I don’t just mean the movements being loose and free, there is a joy in his movement in that dance that I cannot really put into words. The music is awesome too, so that helps. I’ve been rooting for him since the beginning. Aside from Billy (I mean, come on), he’s the best male dancer on that show hands down.
@Elena:
I appreciate sincerely your love for Robert. And Emilie’s too. But I don’t feel him. Can’t.
For your sake, I went on rickey.org and watched the week 1 African Jazz with Courtney. It’s one of my favorite songs (b/c I love Cirque and I’ve seen Santimbanco live before–and have the soundtrack, so I remember it anyways). I thought Robert’s dancing was laudable, but I think that “freedom” you see is sloppy and chaotic. And it’s my pet peeve. I like strength and control in my dancing.
It’s just my preference. That’s why I love Adechike’s style. It just speaks to me. 🙂
I think Robert’s a good technician, but I don’t think he’s the best on the show. But that’s why this show is so popular…because we can all have our opinions–even those that are strongly held. At this point, all of the dancers are so very talented that it’s no longer an objective evaluation. It’s purely subjective.
@Beth
I understand. And you are right, it’s totally subjective. Robert is my fav, but I do love Adechike also. I think he has been getting a raw deal. While I do understand when they talk about “his tightness” in his upper body, I see the exact same thing in Kent and they think he is apparently the next coming of Christ! I dont’ know, all I do know is it will be interesting next week to see who wins. At this point, everyone is really good I think. It could go any way……just hopefully Robert’s! :o)