Welcome to Pure So You Think You Can Dance

I apologize that I’m a little late in posting this, but better late than never I guess.

Jayme Rae Dailey, Vincent Desjardins, Tara-Jean Popowich and Everett Smith danced a Cabaret to the song “Theme for Gypsy (Shivas Regal)” —Sonny Lester & His Orchestra choreographed by Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin
Vincent Desjardins and Everett Smith danced a Hip-hop to the song “B.O.B.” —Outkast choreographed by Sho-Tyme
Tara-Jean Popowich and Everett Smith danced a Jazz to the song “Say (All I Need)” —OneRepublic choreographed by Sean Cheesman
Jayme Rae Dailey and Tara-Jean Popowich danced a Mambo to the song “Ran Kan Kan” —Tito Puente choreographed by Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin
Jayme Rae Dailey and Vincent Desjardins danced a Contemporary to the song “Can’t Stop Thinking About You” —Martin Sexton choreographed by Stacey Tookey
Tara-Jean Popowich and Vincent Desjardins danced a Hustle to the song “Last Dance” —Donna Summer choreographed by Maria Torres
Jayme Rae Dailey and Everett Smith danced a Samba to the song “Run the Show” —Kat DeLuna choreographed by Eric Caty and Kelly Lannan

Solos:
Everett Smith: “Style” —Cameo
Jayme Rae Dailey: “Radiaciones Arrabaleras” —Bailongo!
Vincent Desjardins: “Land of 1000 Dances” —Wilson Pickett
Tara-Jean Popowich: “Bleeding Love” —Boyce Avenue

Time again for the SYTYCD Canada music list. This time from the SYTYCD Canada Top 6 Results show.

Group dance: “Turn the Beat Around” —Vicki Sue Robinson (Disco; Choreographer: Tre Armstrong)

SYTYCD Canada Solos:
Jayme Rae Dailey: “I’m Not Afraid” —Jill Scott
Melanie Mah: “On Your Porch” —The Format
Tara-Jean Popowich: “The Waves” —Elisa
Vincent Desjardins:
Everett Smith: “Oh…Canada”—Classified
Emanuel Sandhu: “Let’s Dance” —David Bowie

Time to list the music from the So You Think You Can Dance Canada top 6 performances.

Top 3 girls: “Concerto for 2 Violins, Strings and Continuo in D Minor, BWV 1043: II, Largo ma non tanto” —The Scottish Ensemble/Jonathan Rees (Contemporary, Choreographer: Mia Michaels)
Top 3 boys: “Get Up Offa That Thing” —James Brown (Suave-Funk; Choreographer: Gustavo Vargas)

SYTYCD Canada Couples Music
Tara-Jean Popowich and Vincent Desjardins danced a Salsa to the song “Vengo Caliente” –Sonora Carruseles choreographed by Gustavo Vargas
Tara-Jean Popowich and Vincent Desjardins danced a Contemporary to the song “It Doesn’t Hurt” (Studio Version) —Katie Thompson choreographed by Stacey Tookey
Melanie Mah and Everett Smith danced a Jazz-Rock to the song “Burn It to the Ground” —Nickelback choreographed by Melissa Williams
Melanie Mah and Everett Smith danced a Hip-hop to the song “That’s Right” —Ciara choreographed by Luther Brown
Jayme Rae Dailey and Emanuel Sandhu danced a Quickstep to the song “Let’s Go”—Hipjoint feat. Sherry St. Germain choreographed by Pierre Allaire
Jayme Rae Dailey and Emanuel Sandhu danced a Jazz-Funk to the song “I Gotta Feeling” -Black Eyed Peas choreographed by Blake McGrath

SYTYCD Canada Solo Music
Jayme Rae Dailey: “As Much As I Ever Could” —City and Colour
Tara-Jean Popowich: “Fever” —Michael Bublé
Melanie Mah: “The District Sleeps Alone Tonight” —The Postal Service
Everett Smith: “Shake Your Pants” —Cameo
Vincent Desjardins: “Ai Mi Morena” (Chocolate Restyle) —Mo’ Horizons

What a night. I can honestly say we have an unbelievable Top 8. And Mia is right, our Top 4 girls are the best i have seen!!!

Last week I predicted who would go home, however it is getting so difficult. I can say who I feel should be in the bottom or who I think Canada will vote for.

Mia Michaels (with a new shaved head), Dan Karaty, Tre Armstrong and Jean-Marc Genereux were judges and we had Nico Archambault debut as a SYTYCD choreographer. It was indeed a special night.

Although during rehearsals there were multiple injuries with Everett suffering from a bleeding nose from a few kicks in the face to Emmanuel’s sprained ankle (and his fingers are still bandaged) but the show must go on – and it did – and it was spectacular!

Top 4 Guys Dance
Jazz with Melissa Williams
“Beggin” – Jersey Boyz

They were not at all in unison, a boy band they are NOT! I did enjoy the solo bits with spins and kicks as well as the overall routine. Vincent stood out for me.

Top 4 Girls Dance
Burlesque in my opinion with Sean Cheeseman
“Dr. Feelgood” – Aretha Franklin

This was sexy, hot and amazing. The girls were in sync, each had a chance to shine and the choreography was super seductive. Jayme Rae stood out *slightly* for me but overall the all shone like the superstars they are.

Couples

Vincent & Tara-Jean

1. Rumba with Eric Caty
“Hero” – Enrique Iglesias

Maybe it’s the song but I teared up, I was covered in goosebumps and I enjoyed every moment of this amazing routine. The kiss at the end was hot and Mia Michaels was correct, the end bit was very Karma Sutra. I just loved it, Tara-Jean was sexy and Vincent was powerful and I adored every second of this routine.

2. Krump with Lil’ C
“Chea-Chea-Chea” – Tha J Squad

Neither hit it very hard but it was a good effort. Tara-Jean seems to me to be the weakest link of the 4 girls, though even saying that feels wrong because they are all so amazing. Vincent delivered though it was not overly “krumpy” for me.

Tara-Jean
“Farewell” – Rosie Thomas

Passionate, Emotional, Pretty. But not sure if her overall effort will get her to next week.

Vincent
“U Can’t Touch This” – MC Hammer

Unique song choice for his genre of dance but he delivered. It was hot, sexy and most importantly ENTERTAINING!

Kim & Cody

1. Hip Hop with Luther Brown
“Humpin’ Around” – Bobby Brown

I loved this routine. Mia Michaels called it “dope” and I concur. It was hard, it was hyped, it was a throw back to old school hip hop and they nailed it. Both of them were in their genre and showed they could rock it out.

2. Smooth Waltz with Pierre Allaire
“What a Wonderful World” – Louis Armstrong

This fell flat. It was cute and quirky, I was shocked to see Kim not being sexy… but it was not entertaining and as the judges pointed out it showed poor technique and didn’t deliver.

Kim
“Jerk it” -Thunderhiest

Back to the sexy where she belongs this was an amazing routine. I especially loved the gliding across the floor on her back and the abrupt sudden movements… hot!

Cody
“Missin’ You” – Tre Songz

The problem with Cody is that his hip hop is smooth and natural and looks to come so easy. I think that can be mistaken for lack of effort or passion. I believe he HAS the passion and drive and effort, but he is just so talented his solo’s appear relaxed. I hope this doesn’t land him in the bottom

Emanuel & Melanie

1. Contemporary (Ballet parts) with Sabrina Matthews
“The Scientist” – Coldplay

What great lines. It was a beautiful routine though I felt the pairing was a bit off. The judges really emphasized how well Melanie did while playing hard ball with Emmanuel. He was injured, he did miss rehersals, he did fairly well all things considered, but also he is a fan favourite mainly because of his background with skating and his familiarity.

2. Disco with Melissa Williams
“Hush Hush” -Pussycat Dolls

I enjoyed the routine. I feel like Melanie has been in the bottom when she shouldn’t have been before and fear that will occur again. Emmanuel I feel has been in the top when he shouldn’t have been and wonder how Canada will vote this week given he was injured.

Melanie
“Innocence” – Bjork

I loved this solo. The song choice was so perfect for her movements. She really delivered passion and talent and showcased why she should stick around.

Emanuel
“Mad World” – Adam Lambert

He always looks to glide on ice. I wanted to see more. I worried about his ankle. I feel it is tough to judge or rank someone who is injured. I don’ tknow if people will vote for him based on previous weeks and loving him already or even as sympathy for his injury or if he will finally go home. We shall see tomorrow.

Jayme Rae & Everett

1. Mamba with Gustavo Varagas
“En Berransvilla Me Quedo” – Joe Arroyo

Jayme Rae’s hips were flying and she was sexy as hell even as her costume was falling apart. The kicks, spins, dips and that end flip… wow! Entertaining and amazing. Yes Jayme Rae outshone Everett but that is how it should be and Mia Michaels was correct – HOT A LICIOUS!

2. Jazz Funk with Nico Archambault & Wynn Holmes
“Sexy Chick” – David Guetta (feat. Akon)

If Nico’s choreo can’t keep these two out of the bottom 2 I don’t know what can… Nico’s debut as a choreo on the show was AMAZING… I loved it as much as I love him !!! Everett was the perfect geek and Jayme Rae sexy as sexy can be. The story was cute, the moves were amazing it was a well-crafted routine from idea to performance….

Jayme Rae
“gettin’ in the Way” -Jill Scott

Every movement was precise and amazing. I think she should be safe based on her paired routines and solo. She has become quite the superstar.

Everett
“Stand By Me” -Ben E King

This guy is entertaining. He makes tap fun again. I can’t keep my eyes off him when he moves and that is a good thing. I think he should be safe.

Power Rankings

Girls

1. Kim
2. Jayme Rae
3. Melanie
4. Tara-Jean

Boys

1. Vincent
2. Everett
3. Cody
4. Emanuel

I predict Tara-Jean and Emanuel go Home (Though I kind of sadly think it may be Cody and not Emanuel, I would probably cry if that was true though)

Do you agree? Disagree? Why?

We will see Tomorrow Night

So my power rankings started off strong then faded with my predictions for Bottom 3 couples usually only being 1/3 accurate, though my predictions for who goes home have been pretty close throughout.

Tre, Jean-Marc, Luther and Blake were judges and we saw lot’s of familiar choreographers as well as some past contestents Natali Reznik and Francis Lafreniere who guest choreographed.

This Week things changed. Top 10 means new couples each week and solo’s from all for individual votes. I am going to talk briefly about the couples routines then go into power rankings by individual.

First of All – Couples Dances

This is in order of performance not ranking:

Vincent & Melanie
Pasa Doble with Natalie Resnik & Francis Lafreniere
“Conquest” – White Stripes

This was agressive and entertaining. Melanie showcased legs I didn’t know she had and that flip into Vincent’s arms was awesome.

Cody & Amy
Contemporary with Stacey Tookey
“Come Home” – One Republic

There was a lot of partnering and overall it was pretty and quite fluid. Cody out performed Amy and as the judges noted, she should have stood out given it is her area of dance!

Emanuel & Tara-Jean
Samba with Tony & Melanie
“Samba Vocalizado” -Luciano Perrone

This was fantastic. I really liked that Emanuel took the character on so well and they both shook their booties like there was no tomorrow. I was so scared my heart jumped when Emanuel charged at TJ to jump as she did a back bend… wow!

Everett & Kim
Jazz with Sean Cheeseman
“St. James Infirmary Blues” —The White Stripes

This was creepy and fun. I loved the use of the table and how Kim was “dead” it was really entertaining. I wasn’t a fan of Kim neccessarily and all of a sudden all the judges are soo ga-ga over her… but I am starting to see it more.

Jayme Rae & Austin
Hip Hop with ShoTyme
“Da Rockwilder” —Method Man & Redman

I think she hit harder than he did. Austin is such a beautiful fluid dancer I think this hard-hitting hip hop was a challenge for him. It was fun to watch though.

Power Rankings

Girls

Melanie
“The Fame” – Lady Gaga
This girl has energy, she almost had too much tonight if you ask me, but she was all over the place and performed well overall. I hope she is safe.

Jayme Rae
“Make me Over” – Keyshia Cole
This was fun, sexy, only she can pull off those silver spandex! I see so much passion and versatility in her. I worry she will be lower than my ranking, I love her but I feel like Canada doesn’t as much.

Tara-Jean
“Relief” – Chris Garneau
She has passion and she is quirky and fun. I like dhow she was flowing so beautifully then would have sudden jerky movements. The juxtaposition of her movements fit well to the music and I loved her shoulder movements.

Kim
“Kiss from a rose” – Seal
It didn’t stand out to me as anything spectacular. She was wearing a bikini top that I thought would fall off. I’d put her in the bottom though i don’t know if Canada will.

Amy
“Wanted” – Vanessa Carlton
It was pretty and cute. It didn’t stand out for me much. I predict she goes home.

Boys

Everett
“Everybody Dance” – Chic
Wow! This was entertaining. Tap is not typically that entertaining to me but he was fun and had great moves and energy. I know most may not put him in the top but he was my top solo for the men tonight…

Cody
“I need a girl” – P. Diddy
This kid can do no wrong in my book. He is so adorable and a pleasure to watch, especailly in his element. His moves were awesome and I enjoyed it. I would be surprised if he was in the bottom, though he has been before. Me and Canada disagree sometimes.

Emanuel
“Bridge” – Amon Tobin?
This guy is def. a figure skater. His foot work was stunning, his jumps and turns amazing and if I didn’t know any better I would have thought he WAS floating on an ice rink. Awesome Dance. Canada Loves him… likely safe.

Vincent
“Can you feel it” – Real2Real
Flawless, natural and upbeat. He moved his hips like no man I’ve seen and he just kills it everytime he is on stage. He was not an early fave for me but I love him now! I think he is safe.

Austin
“Always Midnight” – Pat Monahan
A beautiful solo as always (he has sure had his fair share of opportunities for solo’s this season!) He has such passion and moves so smoothly, it is hard to get ridof him after seeing his solo’s, but he has been bottom 3 before a few times and it’s crunch time. I predict he will go home.

Final Thoughts

Amy did not stand out for me amongst everyone else so I predict she will go home.

Austin has been in the bottom 3 many times and his couple performance was weak so I am predicting he will go home.

Last week my power rankings were 1/3 and as we get lower in numbersit is getting pretty difficult, they are all so good.

This week I am hoping to do better (Hey I was 3/3 two weeks ago!) here are my thought son the show… please comment with your thoughts and let’s see tomorrow who goes home.

Melanie & Cody
Jazz with Melissa Williams
“Glory Box” – Portishead

I loved the scarf, I loved them, I loved the routine, I loved the outfits, I loved the chair, I loved the make-up, I loved the story… yes I am biased, I LOVE these 2 dancers. My fave of the night.

Kim & Emanuel
Hip Hop with Luther Brown
“Respect my Conglomerate” -Busta w/ Lil’W and JedaKiss

Although there were parts not in unison, and he seemed uncomfortable much of the time, Kim really surprised me and brought it. I loved that she just “went for it” and (though not hard hitting) her tutting impressed me. Her hip shaking was sexy, she stole the routine for me.

Jayme Rae & Daniel
Contemporary with Blake McGrath
“It Must have been Love” -Kari Kimmel

This routine gave me goosebumps. I loved that it was flowy and beautiful then abrupt and hard. The juxtaposition of the movements matched the emotion of the routine. Love and Marriage turned to heartache and pain. Blake is Brilliant!

—————————————BOTTOM 3—————————————

Tara-Jean & Everett
Theatre with Sean Cheeseman
“The Joint is Jumpin” – Ain’t Misbehvin’ (1978 Original Cast)

There were some nice slides, flips and even an amazing tap solo. The part of this that caught my attention the most, however, was that CRAZY flip over near the end of the routine. My heart actually jumped and I got chills.

Vincent & Amy
Jive with Tony Meredith & Melanie LePatin
“Pony Time” -Chubby Checker

This was a high energy, fun-loving, fantastic routine. I thouroughly enjoyed it and I enjoy them – I just don’t know how to pick a bottom 3 this week.

Austin & Corynne
Salsa with Tony Meredith & Melanie LePatin
“Calle Ocho” – Pitbull

This routine was akward for me. I loved the Choreo but Corynne has these amazing legs she barely used to kick. Her hip shaking was barely there. The pairing was just uncomfortable for me. Austin brought it but it just didn’t work for me. I agree with Mia. I Think Bottom 3.

If my bottom 3 are correct i suspect that Corynne & Austin go home…. *hides*

I know that Mandy included the list of music in her SYTYCD Canada power rankings, but just for format sake I decided to list it here in the usual fashion. You can also take a look back at all the previous SYTYCD Canada music.

Melanie Mah and Cody Bonnell danced to Hip-hop to the song “Turnin Me On” —Keri Hilson featuring Lil Wayne choreographed by Luther Brown
Amy Gardner and Vincent Desjardins danced to Cha-cha-cha to the song “Rie y Llora” —Celia Cruz choreographed by Gustavo Vargas
Tara-Jean Popowich and Everett Smith danced to House to the song “When Love Takes Over” —Kelly Rowland featuring David Guetta choreographed by Sho-Tyme
Kim Gingras and Emanuel Sandhu danced to Contemporary to the song “To Build a Home” —The Cinematic Orchestra choreographed by Stacey Tookey
Jayme Rae Dailey and Daniel Dory danced to Disco to the song “Disco Inferno” —The Trammps choreographed by Melissa Williams
Natalie Lyons and Danny Lawn danced to West Coast Swing to the song “Love Lockdown” —Kanye West choreographed by Benji Schwimmer and Donyelle Jones
Corynne Barron and Austin Di Iulio danced to Jazz to the song “Paparazzi” —Lady Gaga choreographed by Johnny Byrne

Last Week’s Power Rankings I predicted 1/3 of the Bottom 3 and one of the two going home.

This week I hope to be more accurate (Hey, the previous week I was 3/3)

Our judges this evening were Dan Karaty, Karen Kain, Tre Armstrong and Jean-Marc Genereux. Dan spoke about how SYTYCD Canada pushes the envelop and keeps getting sexier. Tomorrow Night Blake’s choreographed an “almost too sexy for tv” routine that I can’t wait to see.

1.Cody & Melanie
Hip Hop with Luther
“Turnin’ me on” – Keri Hilson ft. Lil Wayne

Yes, they are my favourite couple (though Jayme Rae & Daniel are creeping up a close second lately) but this routine by Luther was HOT! Cody didn’t have what I refer to as “Evan syndrome” (being too cute and innocent) he rocked it hard along with Melanie who was hard-hitting. They were convincing, they were in unison and they were sexy. Best routine of the night in my opinion.

2. Jayme Rae & Daniel
Disco with Melissa Williams
“Disco Inferno” -The Trammps

The lifts, the spins, the flips, the bounce, the outfits… it was hot. I don’t know what the heck Dan Karaty was watching but he was not watching these guys dance if he thinks they weren’t “there” When Jayme Rae did those splits in a lift then a spin and flip – holy guacamole – amazing! Disco is face-paced and fun and these guys did a fantastic job and entertained me.

3. Austin & Corynne
Hollywood Jazz with John Byrne
“Paparazzi” – Lady Gaga

I haven’t liked Austin since auditions but that guy can dance. I have liked Corynne since auditions and I am really glad these two are paired, they seem to really connect and I think they will stay out of the bottom 3 again this week. I didn’t like the gun part, it seemed corny but the falls and jumps and that KISS!?! wow!

4. Natalie & Danny
West Coast Swing with Benji Schwimmer
“Love Lock Down” – Kanye West

I have tried West Coast Swing and this to me was so unlike what I have tried (at a novice level obviously ha ha!) Benji is a genius. There were some amazing flips and complicated patterns but the air worked well together and performed beautifully. (Although I wasn’t a fan of the song – especially after kanye’s lil’ outburst at the VMA’s this past weekend!)

———————BOTTOM 3————————-

5. Tara-Jean & Everett
House with Sho Tyme
“When Love Takes Over” – David Guette

I don’t want to put these guys in the Bottom 3 but it’s a close call with Natalie & Danny / Tara-Jean & Everett. It was very fast, it was entertaining, it truly was body versus feet as Dan Karaty said. I enjoyed it but something about Benji’s routine made it stand out slightly above this one and so here we are with our Bottom 3 predictions.

6. Kim & Emanuel
Contemporary with Stacey Tookey
“To Build a Home” – Cinematic Orchestra
They seem defeated in the rehearsal clips. With bruises and injuries and struggling with the lifts. It felt like a real bummer just watching. Though they performed well, their outfits were boring, it was slow and seemed to just drag on for me. Near the end it pick ed up and they gave it some life but I just felt like it fell short.

7. Amy & Vincent
Cha Cha with Gustavo Vargas
“Rie y llora” – Celia Cruz

It was fun and sexy and cute but it didn’t stand out much compared to other routines this evening. it was quirky but just nothing spectacular in my opinion.

Assuming my Bottom 3 are correct (and it is so hard to tell at this point) I would predict that Amy & Vincent go home… ooh I dunno…. everyone deserve to be where they are on that stage… so sad to send people home each week.

Can’t wait for Blake’s routine tomorrow

I apologize for being a little behind. I forgot to post this last week and so I’ll post it now since someone was looking for it. I’ll try to be better about posting it from now on.

Group dance: “Malagenha” —Sergio Mendes (African/Brazilian; Choreographer: Jean-Marc Généreux)

Solo Music:
Jenna-Lynn Higgins: “I Gotta Feeling” —The Black Eyed Peas
Amy Gardner: “Yummy” —Gwen Stefani
Melanie Mah: “A Little More of You” —Ashley Chambliss
Nicolas Bégin: “Pavlo Style”—Pavlo
Vincent Desjardins: “She’s So Fine”—Jackie Wilson
Cody Bonnell: “Love Struck” —VFactory

Eliminated:
Jenna-Lynn Higgins
Nicolas Bégin

Hi guys. This is a new segment devoted to the music used on the show. I know we’ve posted up the song titles but we haven’t really got in depth as to how the music contributes (or not) to the choreography and how important the music is to So You Think You Can Dance Canada. I am going to go one-by-one through each of the routines and comment on the music used. This is for all you huge music lovers out there.

Kim & Emanuel – Jazz
Ciara ft. Justin Timberlake – Love, Sex, & Magic
Wow! Let me just start by saying – what an exhilarating piece. Blake was right when he said it was going to be sexy and hard-hitting. I felt the boom’s and the ka’s and the sha’s – they were all hit in the right place. I love that Blake actually incorporated magic into the number. Since the song’s debut, it has been a song used in dances related to sexiness and just showing off what you got. It has got a nice, steady jazzy beat, perfect for the dance style. Also, the lyrics are quite simple – they are enough to show what the song is talking about – and it isn’t that hard to figure out. My favourite part was when Emanuel had to lick Kim’s boots when the song was actually talking about boots! It surely got the crowd going – perfect for an opening number. Ciara herself is a great performer. I loved that they used this song for a jazz routine but I can also see it used as a hip hop routine, as Ciara is an R&B singer.

Amy & Vincent – Hip Hop
Black Eyed Peas – Boom Boom Pow
Personally, I am not a huge fan of BEP’s newest album, The E.N.D. Their older songs like “Where Is The Love?”, “Don’t Phunk With My Heart”, & “Dum Diddley” were used greatly on past SYTYCD America seasons. The BEP seem to be a big hit with SYTYCD. However, their new songs have a good beat but I don’t think they are as developed and mature as I’ve seen their music in the past. Now it all seems to be about making singles or “great” tracks with great beats. If you turn off the music and just watch them two dance, the whole thing seems a bit mediocre, and a little childish. Amy also seems to be hitting the moves harder than Vincent, but still not as hard as I’d like them to hit it. The music really helps a lot.

Corynne & Austin – Contemporary
The Fray – Never Say Never
I am going to be a little biased here because I absolutely LOVE this song and The Fray. I do feel like this is the perfect song to be used for the piece. It always gets me during the “Don’t let me go, don’t let me go…” chorus because the repetition and emphasis is just so powerful – especially when the story of the piece actually relates to the lyrics. I must say – it somewhat disappointed me. There did not seem to be enough synchronization, fluidity and chemistry that I’d like to have seen. Corynne’s expression also seemed very forced and fake. The song calls for a mellow and desperate mood, but due to the dancers’ expressions and the choreography, I don’t think the song’s melody and tempo was used to it’s full potential. However, it was still very good.

Melanie & Cody – Mambo
Michi Sarmiento – Suena Ahora
This was a good song to use for the beach setting. However, I don’t think it had enough energy to carry off the repetitive and very juvenile choreography that was set for the two. Quite frankly, I thought this was the weakest of the performances that night, as much as I LOVE this duo. For the music, I would’ve used something funkier and something with more personality. “Jungle Drum” by Emiliana Torrini seems like a good song. It may not be your typical mambo music but it does have some tropical feel to it.

TJ & Everett – Quickstep
Hot Rolls Ragtime Band – Chicago Overture
Why have they been given 3 ballroom dances in a row?! I am surprised that they haven’t been in the bottom 3 couples yet! I have a feeling that Tara-Jean will go far, but that’s beside the point. Anyway, I was surprised when they said the song was originally used for a certain brutal violent time that happened in Chicago in the past? The song was just so uplifting. The repeated Charleston’s that they did actually fit the trumpets in the song. Not a huge fan, but it fit well, I guess.

Jayme Rae & Daniel – Hip Hop
Ciara – Pucker Up
I don’t know this song very well but I feel like the choreography was pretty funky, just like the song. I actually would’ve preferred “Sweet Dreams” by Beyoncé in one of their hip hop dances. Sweet Dreams just has such a catchy upbeat rhythm and intense vocals. It drives your soul, literally. This was danced and choreography actually more fluid than I would’ve preferred it. Using Sweet Dreams would’ve fit it more, and the tempo and beat also seems to fit too.

Jenna Lynn & Nicolas – Hustle
Jamiroquai – Canned Heat
When I imagined a one last dance for the end of the world, this is actually a song I would love to dance to. It fit the style and it fit the mood. More importantly, the choreography fit well with the song altogether. One of the songs that was better used.

Natalie & Danny – Rhumba
Perez Prado – Historia de un Amor
You lost me here. Was I supposed to believe that they were in love since the song is called “History of a Loved One”? It seemed like two nervous dancers forced to dance the rhumba to me! It was not passionate and it seemed like Danny wanted to eat Natalie. Anyway, enough with the dancers themselves. If this was supposed to be a dance of love and that rhumba is considered the “ballet of ballroom”, should it not be more technical, precise, elegant, and slower? I am not a huge expert on rhumba, but this to me looked so much better and had much better music than the one they used.

From the time Natalie started doing her little wiggles on stage, I was wondering…corny. When they broke apart from each other back-to-back and the beat started coming in, it did not seem to follow the music at all. The song’s cymbals and horns were also just so annoying.

There’s my first ever take on the show’s music! What did you think of the music used?