SYTYCD Top 6 Choreography Critiques

Top 6 already??  Seriously?  I don’t know how it happened.

Mary Murphy as guest judge- this should be interesting, at least it will give the judges some more energy while doing the judging.

Vincent/Tara Jean
Salsa

This piece was great.  I think that Tara Jean was the star of that piece, but that might be because she was wearing very little and managed to land some amazing lifts.  On the other hand- Vincent was terrific as well.  I love the idea that Salsa can be updated and young while still holding its technical merits.

Everett/Melanie
Jazz/Rock

I was totally underwhelmed by this piece.  It felt forced and awkward the whole way through.  The music was loud and annoying.   They are so much better than this piece showed them to be.  And that lift over the head- I think that might have been the most awkward, un-attracted and un-stable lift I’ve seen on this program.  People won’t remember this piece.

Emanuel/Jayme Rae
Quickstep

It’s either going to be magical or horrific.  There is no middle ground in the Quickstep.  This just wasn’t good enough- the Quickstep has to have a fluidity to it and they both were quite stiff and uncomfortable looking.  As Mary said- the open work was fun to watch, but those steps and choreography weren’t Quickstep moves.  I don’t believe that axels are usually seen in a Quickstep.  I hope that Emanuel does better in the next piece- because he might be in trouble based on that piece.

It seems to me that the judges in Canada are much more leniant than the judges on the American version of the show.  I wonder why that is because if Nigel was reviewing that piece he wouldn’t have had nice things to say like Jean-Marc did.

Vincent/Tara Jean
Contemporary

This piece is why people dance.  It was as full of emotion and connection as it was with movement.  Neither Vincent or Tara Jean out-danced one another.  It was all about the moment.  No special lights, no elaborate costumes were necessary.  They put it all on the stage with such courage and beauty.  I’m amazed.

Everett/Melanie
Hiphop

It’s difficult to go from such a tender piece to a hard hitting hiphop however this piece was well executed.  The connected pieces were well done, and they pulled off the dirty-ness that was needed to bring the steps to life.  It was fun and totally convincing.

Emanuel/Jayme Rae
JazzFunk

I liked this piece- but I’m always nervous about a piece that was too many props involved.  I think that Jayme Rae out-danced Emanuel this time.  I keep getting distracted by Emanuel’s facial expressions but maybe it’s just me.  It was really really sexy, but I guess I just didn’t really believe it.