Top 8 Performance Thoughts and Discussion
Even though I’m running late tonight, I wanted to be sure I posted this so you have a place for all your thoughts and any discussion that comes up during the episode. I’ll add my thoughts in later, when I get a chance, so for now, this is YOUR space!
UPDATE:
I’ve only seen half the show at this point, but I’ll go ahead and throw some of my thoughts out.
-I really loved Sasha’s quickstep with Pasha (“easy to remember!”).
-Wish I loved Caitlynn’s hip hop with Ivan. It was really cute, but not my favorite routine and that sucks cause I love her and love him and thought they were really cute together.
-Wonder what it was like with Allison and Ivan both backstage. 
-Jordan is really not good at connecting with her partners. I think she had her best chemistry yet with Ade (Ade! How can you not have chemistry with Ade?! *I* had chemistry with Ade the two times I met him during on tour!), but she was still glamming for the camera. Just not digging it. I can see that she’s athletic and gorgeous and a talented dancer, but I’m getting sick of her getting raved about for being sexy since she’s sexy all on her own. I don’t know that she knows how to build chemistry with a partner at all.
-Melanie and Neil’s Mandy Moore was hands down my favorite of the night, one of my favorites of the season. I love all the components, so how could I not love it. Love Melanie, looooove Neil, love Mandy Moore. That leap! And Rob Marshall was right about her acting at the end. And I looooved that Cat asked if we wanted to see the move again and Melanie leaped into Neil’s arms back stage. I’ve never wanted to be backstage more in my life than when Cat said they were still smooching back there. Another SYTYCD cross-season couple, hmmm? (I’ve watched this routine like a dozen times now and I still want more!)
-I thought Rickey’s was one of the better jives we’ve seen on the shows and he was great with Anya. But I actually thought the quickstep was better, had more flare and life.
That’s as far as I’ve gotten at the moment! I haven’t been reading your comments till I can see the show, but please continue the conversation! Power Rankings will be delayed till tomorrow, but I can definitely give you a poll in the meantime. Maybe you’d like to give power rankings a go yourselves?
UPDATE:
-So I just watched Tadd’s heist routine with LoFro. It was really entertaining and I can totally see the MJ references. And I agree that I was really proud of Tadd for dealing with lost hat and the accidental face punch and keeping going. It was a lot of fun.
-I was really surprised and pleased with Jess’s performance with Lauren G. I thought it would be a disaster when I saw they were dancing together, but he really stepped up to her. There weren’t any lifts of course, but he matched her really well and I think he worked on having a connection with her and the intention of the piece. He didn’t overplay it, I agree.
-LOVED the Marko/Allison routine. He does really well when partnered with technical girls and I think Allison was the perfect match for him. She brought out a lot in him, but also they were must well-matched.
-This is a good time for me to say I’m generally liking Lady Gaga as a judge. Sometimes I think he reactions are a bit contrived, but I’m usually in agreement with them anyway, so that’s okay. And she’s being calmer and quieter than I expected and really respectful of the judges, which is really good.
-I hated the Jess/Jordan rhumba. Jordan’s pursed lips and “sexy” faces were pissing me off the whole time. I thought Jess did an alright jobs, though he occasionally had a crazy “sexy” face too. They had that one great lift, but I couldn’t help wishing it were different dancers. Agree with Nigel that there was no chemistry between them.
-Really loved Caitlynn and Tadd’s foxtrot. Rob Marshall was right to call it “sparkling.” They had the right attitude the whole way through and looked so classy and gorgeous the whole way through. It really made me miss the old stage, though. This big stage swallows up some routines, like this one.
-The Marko/Rickey hip hop was cute, but not as good as I would’ve liked. I have to agree that Marko carried it better than Rickey did unfortunately. Tabitha looked really worried when they cut to her and Napoleon right after the routine.
-Lady Gaga kinda dissed the props on both of Nappytabs’s routines. Anybody else notice that?
-I liked the Melanie/Sasha jazz, but I actually didn’t think it was as good as it could’ve been. I was THRILLED to see these two were dancing together and they’re pretty well matched, I think. My disconnect with the routine was more the music (blech) and the choreography – it felt kinda empty and unfulfilled. Whenever the girls made connection, it seemed kinda pointless. They could have actually done lifts, both of them, so I wanted that instead of the weird unnecessary assists. I don’t think it was the best choreography that Sonya’s done – I disagree. But then, I’m not a dancer or a choreographer. But I did agree that it reminded me of the “Two Princes” routine, which I liked. AND, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Final 2 came down to these girls
Here’s another poll:
So…Marko’s piece. I want to start with saying that he’s my favorite along with Jess, and has been since the beginning. But, ugh, I just felt so manipulated by that piece! It was like Sonya thought to herself “Hmmm, Alison, Asian kid, Jeff Buckley…I can recreate Haleluliah from Season 7 and have everyone crying again, score!
Not that it wasn’t good, it just felt like a total recycle of material. That’s just my opinion, don’t crucify me…but you know I have a point! I just don’t think it’s fair for the other dancers to get fun funky routines and get so so reviews, and then others get the sob story, and get rave reviews, it’s the one thing I dislike about this show. And what’s up with Melanie and Marko getting so many contemporaries?! Pure politics I tell ya!
I’m not done with the episode yet, but I *really* hope that Cat gets the Emmy this year. She has been fantastic tonight, esp with her singing the Mario Bros theme song. She’s so great!
With that spectacular ending routine, I don’t think there’s any doubt that Melanie and Sasha will be in the top two, leaving Caitlynn and Jordan in the bottom two. And realistically, one of them will go home this week and the other next week.
It’s not as clear cut for the guys. Marko should be in the top two, Ricky in the bottom. Tadd and Jess could go either way, but it seemed that Tadd was slight stronger tonight, especially in the number with LoFro. (Who seemed to have more raw power in her dance tonight.) I think Ricky will be the one to go since Nigel already hinted that way. For the guys, so much depends on the choreography and their partners for next week as to who will be in the finale.
@ Meggie – Even though both Melanie and Marko had contemporary routines with their all stars tonight and they started off the round of 20 with a contemporary, they also had jazz, hip-hop, and a tango. In the round of 10 Marko had a samba and Melanie a V. waltz. But the funny thing is, I was ready to agree with you until I went back and looked up the routines. But now that it is crunch time, getting their style has to be an advantage, and that’s what we see. Caitlynn had hip-hop and foxtrot, Jordan jazz and rumba, so less chance for them to shine.
super late watching tonight, using youtube, just saw melanie and neil’s piece, holy mother of woah!!! yeah, it’s melanie w/ ANOTHER contemporary AND she’s partnered with Neil AND mandy moore using more 80′s music, but that routine was so spectacular. I completely forgot about the story, just watching the way they moved together was amazing. by far, that is the best Neil has ever danced on the SYTYCD stage, he’s definitely not the cute blonde kid who mostly does tricks. And melanie, goodness me, I didn’t want her to stop dancing! She was so confident and trusting, but also so vulnerable. Wow. With apologies to Travis Wall, I LOVED the statue piece and I LOVE Marko, but this was the best contemporary Mel has done this season.
@Meggie – I totally agree with you on the Jeff Buckley rehash. And Allison has the same exact expression in every dance she’s in. Maybe its because she’s only dancing in heartwrenching contemporary pieces.
My favorite was Melanie/Neil (helllllo, Neil!). I immediately rewound it and watched it again.
Second fave was Tadd and Lauren, He’s just amazing and he’s surpassed Marko as my fave guy. I hope they can dance it again in the finale so we can see it without the hat malfunction.
I thought the same sex couple dances at the end were interesting. I’m sure everyone will disagree, but i think Sasha outdanced Melanie. Melanie seemed a little sluggish, maybe she was a little drained after the Neil dance.
Well I think it will be Jordan and Ricky going home, but I hope its Jordan and Jess.
I agree with pretty much everything you said, Rachel.
Okay, I’m going to say it – Melanie is being a tad bit overrated in this show. I’m feeling like I’m in the Twilight Zone this season. It’s become the Marko & Melanie show. Melanie is never, ever criticized. The judges just gush, “You’re beautiful, you glow, blah, blah, blah…” Yeah, so she looks kind of like Natalie Portman combined with some celebrity you can’t quite put your finger on with her non-threatening pixie haircut. She’s cute, yeah…but then Caitlynn gets up and dances and all I hear is discrimination towards her because she looks pageant-y or pretty. She dresses up like a hot rocker chick and then the next week, the judges say, “WOW! You’re sexy!” and then go back to their old schtick about how she looks like a little girl the next week as if they totally forgot she looked like a woman the previous week. Give me a break! Out of all the girls this year, she is the one who has impressed me most. I’ve seen that girl do styles I NEVER thought she could do. Melanie? She’s always doing contemporary or ballroom-lite in a floaty white dress. It’s like she’s a typecast the judges are playing on repeat and I’m now, frankly, tired of the cliche on repeat.
Marko, however, did just impress me proving he can do something other than contemporary. Lyrical hip-hop almost seems like more compacted contemporary around a storyline. True hip-hop either makes or breaks a dancer with the judges because a lot of it is about attitude, too. Melanie hasn’t done it yet. I’m with the first poster – methinks the deck has been stacked way too long. Everyone knows the big favorites are contemporary and lyrical hip-hop and anyone who does them remains in the game.
What the hell is Gaga’s deal with androgyny? Why is it not okay for women to look like women and men to look like men all of a sudden? Shut up, Gaga. Take your Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club uniform and mermaid extensions and shove it. Sorry, I’m not a Gaga fan. My planet and hers aren’t in the same realm of existence. Different strokes for different androgynous folks or whatever. She can go join that Pussycat Dolls cougar at the cocktail lounge. Bring back Debbie Reynolds. She was adorable.
Next week, they had better give Melanie something actually challenging. And wardrobe department – what were you thinking putting Jordan in that costume? Seriously now? On another note, it was great to see LoFro again – she IS looking so grown up! I can’t wait to see her in coming years…and Allison Holker – WOW! Why did I not notice her when she was on the show because she just blows me away. Her piece with Ricky, last week, gave me CHILLS. Nobody talked about that piece, everyone overlooked it for whatever the hell Melanie did…but I thought it was brilliant, brilliant work. It creeped me out and I would expect something like that more from Sonya than Tyce. I really love watching her dance. She makes everyone look like amateurs. I am still bummed about Miranda being booted off…Still wonder how much she would have grown over all these weeks. Now THAT girl was talented.
@KC- Loved your rant! I agree with everything you posted (except maybe Caitlin, she’s growing on me, but I just don’t think she’s all that great). And Gag-a gags me too.
Ok, I get that Mel had other genres, but jazz and lyrical hip hop? Come on! I want her to get something like paso, broadway, afro jazz, also, give me a break judges, and stop the gushing! Sasha totally outdanced her and they should have darn well said so! (That leap was pretty awesome tho, I must admit) But who deserves the credit for a leap, the leaper or the catcher? I honestly don’t know because I’m not a proffessional, so school away.
I’ve noticed a real lack of genres of dance this season- what happened to crump, and all the wildcard dances like Tahitian, pop jazz, can can, etc. those were lots of fun! Did I miss something, when did they decide to do away with them?
OK, this is weird, but I agree with almost everything everybody has said so far, even the things that contradict each other! How can this be? I mean, I love Melanie, love to watch her dance, don’t mind that she’s gotten more choreography in her genre or close to it than many others have because I love to watch her. But when she danced with Sasha, I could see that she tends to hunch her shoulders sometimes – my God, a flaw! And I thought her tango really wasn’t all that. So I also agree that the judges are putting on blinders to any flaws or criticisms. In fact, I think the judges are like that generally compared to earlier seasons, and I miss their criticism of technique. They instead pick on things noted above like Caitlyn’s pageanty hands in her fox trot. And, my god, Nigel’s constant ragging on Ricky – who is my favorite guy right now – for holding himself so “high” deserved the rebuke that Lady G (Eww, can’t stand her videos and stunts but she sounds very intelligent on this show) gave him. Go Ricky!
So, did Sasha outdance Melanie? I dont’ know. I was seriously happy to get to see them both dance and be able to compare them move for move. I was like: Oh, Sasha did that better. Oh, Melanie did that better. Sasha really put something extra there. Melanie looks beautiful doing that. etc, etc, etc. I really don’t know how I could choose between them yet. Sasha just didn’t have the graceful femininity I would have liked when partnered with Pasha, but I love her strength elsewhere. Why do we have to choose???
I could see Jess go without feeling a thing. And yet I think he is a wonderful dancer. I can’t quite forgive him for being such an albatross around Clarice’s neck for 5 weeks, though. I feel bad for her that when she first got a chance to dance with someone who could maybe lift her and compare on the level of physical size, she ends up with Bollywood. I think we all know that Jordan is the next to go. But it just means Caitlyn goes next week. I wish this series lasted longer!
It was great to see Ivan. I agree also with both sides of the Allison comments. Yes she flings that hair around and uses the same tortured facial expressions in her tormented dances, but darn it she doesn’t do it so well I just love to watch her. It just bothers me a little bit that she seems to be trying to steal the thunder from her partner a little. Great to see LoFro, but couldn’t the costume department have given her something that didn’t make her look like her legs were fat little stumps? I know they are beautiful strong things, but shorts and ankle boots for a short-legged woman with big muscular thighs? Come on. Tadd continues to amaze me, but also doesn’t seem to have as much to add to a routine emotionally as Marko and Ricky do. And I agree with the first poster about all the elements of Sonya’s piece for Marko being the same as Halleluia, and it seemed kind of like a replay, but still I found myself crying and impressed by Marko’s ability. But I did feel a little manipulated. I hadn’t known that the singer was the same in both pieces. Thanks for the piece of that puzzle!
KC, loved your whole rant. And, Meggie, I have to say I don’t really miss those wildcard dances because most of the time they just make the dancers look less brilliant than they would otherwise and it skews the judging and votes, in my opinion. Maybe it would be fun to have them in the shows where the dancers get to dance two dances, but not prior to that.
(MEGGIE/KC): I’m pretty much on the same page as you – but I didn’t mind Gaga so much. I’m not a big fan, but I thought she had some insightful comments. I have also noticed the “same ol’, same ol’” when it comes to the types of dance routines performed – and I REALLY am tired of being manipulated with the soggy, doggy pieces – and it doesn’t seem that any of the choreograhers are above throwing them together. Except I DID notice that Marko’s mom seemed genuinely touched – not posing for camera’s kind of tears – but like something in his routine w/Allison last night resonated with her personally. But – I almost felt that Cat’s becoming aware of the judges’ need to over-emote on these routines also and isn’t comfortable giving way to “all those goose bumps” herself – or adding her tears to the mix. Maybe my artistic barometer isn’t sensitive enough. But I was totally blown away by the Sonya number with Melanie and Sasha. I liked the fact that their styles and strengths were so obviously different – gave the whole robotic thing more realistic menace and I LOVED the music also. It just really worked for me.
I do think one of the problems may be a lack of contributing choreographers this season. Maybe too many have gotten better gigs elsewhere from some of the notice they’ve gotten on previous years of SYTYCD. I miss Wade – always found his musical selections notable and I like Adam Shankman both as a judge and a choreographer – but think he’s pretty booked with movies. Wish they would get Benji back to choreograph and what about Danny from Season 2? He was poetry in motion – should be included as an All-Star. I often wonder if that little pixie girl who won Season 2 even dances any more or if she returned to gymnastics? Anyway – I feel like all the dancers this year lack some of the personal likeability for me – but I may just be getting older and harder to please.
it really sucks that 2 have to go.
the bottom 2 girls will without a doubt be jordan and caitlynn, and i hope they cut jordan. i am SO sick of all her developpés and leg extensions and although they are beautiful, they have become her signature move and every choreographer she’s had seems to be adding leg extensions. how come the judges haven’t noticed this???? i still cannot get over the beauty of caitlynn’s tango with pasha last week. fav routine of the season.
one of the bottom guys will definately be ricky, and although tadd did a better all-around job than jess did, i love jess’s attitude SOOOOO much better. he just seems like such a down-to-earth guy and tadd’s always lifting up his shirt to show off his abs. he just seems so impressed with himself all the time. i think the only guy really safe, though, is marko.
on melanie- although i have to agree on some of kc’s comments (true about the white dress thing!) they have thrown incredible things at her she’s pulled off. remember that nappytabs hip hop she did with marko? that was amazing!!!! and she just seems to float on air. but i felt like nigel was being a little cruel tonight towards sasha when he said that melanie was all of a sudden his fav dancer. and the minute i saw jordan and jess on the mini-stage before the commercial break i knew the judges were going to skewer them for it. doesn’t it seem like they know what they’re going to say before they dance?
i feel bad for ricky, but i know he’s going to get cut. he’s been in the bottom for like, 6 weeks. and i’ve realized how much this competition depends on luck- who you get as a partner (miranda), who you get as a choreographer (mitchell). boo.
I liked Gaga for calling out the over-reliance on props and for declaring the whole sub-genre of lyrical hiphop “dated”. Take that, NappyTabs!
So she doesn’t understand ballroom, but I don’t mind, that was to be expected.
@ Mary: you got your seasons mixed up a bit there at the end, but I know what you mean. Sabra, the s3 winner, seems to have had a falling out with SYTYCD somehow, but at least according to Wikipedia she seems to working steadily as a dance teacher.
@maddy: Re judges knowing what they’re going to say already. I think they prepare pre-comments based on the rehearsals earlier in the day and then throw in any in the moment thoughts they have, especially if the performance differs drastically from the rehearsal (good or bad).
Does anyone know why 2 dancers are leaving each week? Why has this year changed… in seasons past, once they got to the Top 10 just one was eliminated and it was the dancer with the least votes. I don’t recall hearing any explanation as to why 2 are now eliminated???
@Shannon: They usually do eliminate two each week going into the finals (which has been a final 3, a final 4 and a final 5, depending on the season). They only eliminated one dancer a week last season because they started with a Top 10 due to the inclusion of the All-Stars. This is normal. But I don’t know why they’re not eliminating the Bottom 2 after Top 10 like they have in the past. It IS supposed to be America’s choice. Mr. Executive Producer Nigel Lythgoe is pulling a fast one on us by not explaining that one.
Sasha and Melanie were incredible. I said afterwards, “I feel like I just watched the finale.” Melanie’s dance with Neil was the other stand-out, of course, and definitely one of Mandy’s best.
I felt bad that I couldn’t even concentrate on the Marko/Allison piece for what it was because I was so distracted by how similar it was to “Hallelujah.” Sonya contemporary, Jeff Buckley, the lighting, the costuming, the pairing. Actually, did anybody feel last night like they were almost trying to make Marko into Alex?? I mean, his second dance, too. The dancing garbagemen routine was definitely no “Outta Your Mind,” but still two guys, NappyTabs, and it did remind me of OYM at that part near the end where it sped up so fast. Marko is already the strongest guy this year all on his own! You don’t need to make him dance Alex Wong’s greatest hits! lol
I am very glad they’re having guy/guy and girl/girl routines, even without it being mathematically necessary.
I hate that the All-Stars get sent away immediately after they dance. Last season, the first week, they did that, but from second week on they let the couples stand there together as the contestants got critiqued, which I thought was so much better. I wish they’d change that back.
Lady Gaga made much more sense than I thought she would
I love Jess deeply, so I’m preparing myself for him to be in the bottom 4 tonight, based on how popular Tadd seems to be here. (I’m not that crazy about Tadd. Probably because everybody says he reminds them of Dominic, and I didn’t really like Dominic much either, lol. But I do think Tadd deserves Top 6.) I do think Jess will be safe *knockonwood*, as I’m pretty sure at least 3 of the 4 judges would vote to keep him. Gaga has that soft spot for Ricky, but I still think Ricky will go home.
Between Jordan and Caitlynn, I’m really not sure what the judges will do. I’m not even sure what I would do. Last week, I wanted Jordan to go home. This week, she impressed me a bit more than Caitlynn.
Why is there a question about what it was like with Ivan and Allison backstage? They are my alltime fav couple! Do they not get along now? Anybody know what Ivan has been up to? Is he still dating Jamie Goodwin? Is he still good friends with Travis Wall? You never see them together much anymore. Any info would be great!
@Tanya: Oh, I don’t know about any of that! I was only wondering because they used to be partners and I imagined them being super cute hanging out together back stage.
Mandy Moore choreoed the “heist” routine for SYTYCD UK’s Top 4 boys earlier this year (as “Ocean’s Eleven”): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKbOfX9HY8c
I loved it a little more than Tadd/LoFro’s version, probably because of the “shady guy” feel, but theirs was still enjoyable!
Also, I kept thinking of this routine during Sasha’s quickstep since they used the same song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMyb3KtQSzU
I hope one day, they can do a tap number like this on the US version! And I wonder what routine Matt will do when he is on the finale in two weeks…
@Mary, I think you’re right about the choreographers. I would LOVE to see Benji back as a choreographer, they haven’t done a west coast swing on the show since Katee and Joshua in S4. What about Dmitry? Even if he wasn’t an all-star can’t they bring him back to choreograph like they do with Louis and Jonathan Roberts, even if it’s only for a week? And I brought this up last week, where is Tessandra Chavez, her hip hop w/ LoFro and Dom last season was all kinds of amazing.
I have to say, I was relieved that the girl-girl routine wasn’t yet another “OMG this is going to be so hot and sexy!” So for that one routine, at least, I was right there with Lady Gaga. They got to be strong.
So, I agree with you, Emilie: they’re powerful enough to lift each other, let them go there.
One place where I wanted to throw something at the TV: Gaga crying. When judges get teary, it often is contagious, but when Gaga did it, I couldn’t help but think, “Uh, cool it, chickie, this ain’t about you.”
(Now, catching Mom in tears later–THAT was moving.)
@Annie: Oh, I’ve missed SYTYCD UK this time round. Thanks for sharing that. I’ll have to go haunt BBC One and catch up.