SYTYCD 7: Why Robert Should Win
So I’ll be the first to admit it, Robert was not my favorite… he has never really been my favorite… and he will probably not be my favorite. So why am I writing this? Simple, because Robert’s the “dark horse” in the competition. We as an audience know practically next to nothing about him during the audition episodes leading into Vegas and even during Vegas we still know next to nothing about him. He was one of those dancers that probably was very low key during the whole audition process preferring to let the dancing speak for itself.
And did it speak.
The best comparison that I could think of off the top of my head was Danny Tidwell the runner up to Season 3 of So You Think You Can Dance. Danny – if you recall – is Travis Wall’s adopted brother, who originally came from not so good family circumstances, came to Denise Wall’s dance studio for lessons and walked the who knows how many miles (10 miles according to Wikipedia) between his home and the studio to wait for the next lesson. He was talented in his youth despite starting at a later age. Denise took this lost soul under her wing and brought him up to be the dancer that we all remember him as. On the show Danny was quiet and reserved – most likely as a by-product of his youth growing up – which to some people came across as arrogant on screen. He was part of the Bottom Three boys several times during the show before eventually coming in second place in his season (runner up to Sabra Johnson).
In many ways Robert Roldan is the Danny Tidwell of Season 7… Robert’s childhood was broken in some ways and he relied heavily on his mother for growth and strength, eventually they found a stable family home and structure allowing Robert to blossom into the dancer prior to the show. In the duration of the show, Robert always did well in his routines but he never really shined. He was always very good at picking up choreography and getting the characterizations of the stories, however, for one reason or another the audience simply were not able to connect with him.
So what happened? Where did the surge come from? Personally I believe it started with the contemporary piece with Allison Holker choreographed by Travis Wall. It was a story that Robert was able to grab hold of, to cherish and get lost in. He was able to find a way to relate to the material… and once he was able to relate to it then his love and joy and connection came across the screen so much more. Suddenly (or not depending on one’s point of view) Robert was able to harness a connection to every piece given, and instead of doing well but forgettable, he was doing well AND memorable. Suddenly his dancing has a sparkle that isn’t exactly easy to forget.
His surge is coming later in the season, but there have been previous winners of the show that had surges later in the show or rather peaked at the right moment to outshine the rest in the final performance show their season (Season 5’s Jeanine Mason and Season 6’s Russell Ferguson).
Towards the beginning of the series, people voted on their favorites since day one, so for the first few seasons the obvious favorite since day one became the winner (Season 1’s Nick Lazzarini, Season 2’s Benji Schwimmer, and Season 3’s Sabra Johnson). Season 4 saw the shifting of the gears where America’s isn’t necessarily voting for their favorite dancer, but rather the one whose dancing shined the most… eventually moving into Season’s 5 and 6 where the winners weren’t outright favorites from the beginning but rather the quiet unknowns whose dancing won over America little by little every week. America loves a good underdog, and this season it’s Robert… the other contestants have every chance of winning as well, but if patterns are any indication, I see America continuing on the trend of the underdog and chose Robert this time around.
Yay!!! I think Robert will win AND he’s my favorite of the three dancers still in the competition. I actually like all three of them, though, so while I want to know who wins, I won’t be upset if someone other than Robert does.
Yeah, I also LOVE Robert, and he has been my favorite since Alex Wong left. Because we didn’t know a lot about him from auditions and Vegas I was always kinda curious about him (the fact that he’s gorgeous helped a little), and when I finally saw him dance in the “meet the top 11” I was already liking him a lot! In the beginning I was also cheering for Alex, and Kent, but Alex had to leave, and Kent lost a bit of his sparkle for me during the season, so now I’m Robert FTW!
I will admit that he is a good dancer. The problem is that I cannot connect with his personality because I feel that it is extremely fake. He uses the same shocked facial reaction everytime he realizes he is still on the show and it is beyond annoying. I don’t think I can handle his reaction to winning because it could almost be as cringeworthy as Russell randomly ripping off his shirt when he won last season. I thought that was a bit crass. If Kent doesn’t win then I would love for Lauren to win because girls seem to rarely win this show…well there have been like 2 girl winners.
I don’t think Robert is fake at all, he’s over the top, yes, but not fake. I think it’s very tricky to be around cameras all the time, and not everyone deals with that the same way. And Russel ripping his shirt, this is a Krumper thing, Krumpers have a habit of ripping of their shirts while performing. If you watch a documentary called Rize, that talks about how Krump was originated (and features a young Lil C) you’ll see the ripping quite a few times.
I’ll be pleased with whoever wins. Three strong finalists and it all hinges on tonight’s perfromances…plus the choreographers. Kent peaked with last week’s Travis Wall creation and needs to keep the mo-jo going if he’s to win.
Totally agree!!! I was in the “who the heck is this guy camp” about Robert when we got to Top 11, mostly b/c I was still smarting over the loss of Anthony Burrell. Slowly but surely, Robert has become my favorite dancer this season. I think his break through for me was his piece with Allison as well. Not only did he obviously connect with it emotionally, but he connected physically. Travis said in the rehearsal footage, “and you’ll [Robert] be portraying me, which is kind of perfect” so I think Travis sees a lot of himself in Robert, which is beautiful. As I think I’ve said before, I’d love to see him pull a Jeanine and sneak in there and take the title, and I think he’s peaking at just the right time.
Well I don’t really have a favorite anymore… it was Alex originally (gotta support my Asians!) then it was Adechike b/c I get him… I understand him I think (hope, pray).
Robert could very well pull a Jeanine, but he has to go through the powerhouses of Kent and Lauren. Jeanine only had the powerhouse of Brandon (the fan favorite of the season as I saw it to that point) to go against, and if I recall Jeanine had a hell of a night with that solo… I think it was her final solo that did it for me. Not only that, but the other dancers didn’t really shine as much as she did.
In order for Robert to pull a Jeanine he not only has to pull the night of his life out of the hat, but he’s gotta have help from the other dancers. And I’m not too confidant that’s going to happen either.
I actually do hope the Robert will win. A lot. I remember back in season 3 I thought Danny was gonna beat Sabra, and I was frustrated, since Neil had been eliminated and I thought, “Okay, I’m switching to Sabra. I lost my favorites [Neil and Dom] already, and I’ve always loved Sabra, so I choose her.” After she had been announced winner, I thought, “Well, Danny’s been great since day one. Sabra’s really improved throughout the whole season, so I can see why she won. Is that how the show works?” (Yes, I had an extensive vocabulary even when I was young. Sorry for my nerdiness) So, ultimately the winner is usually someone who has had a great journey. Benji Schwimmer almost didn’t make the top 20, he was first runner-up dancer in case something happened. Hok Konishi didn’t get his Visa cleared in time, so Benji had to step in. And he ended up winning! You know what they say, the winner is usually a surprise.
And Marianya, I support my Asians, too. 😉 (Well, my Filipinos and Russians, mostly) Hey, technically Pasha and Anya are Asian, to, ya know.
It really is anyones game a this point its all up to has the best performances tonight. Robert is an over the top goofball that can dance. I loved how Mia made him blush by calling him the prince of this season.
Marianya, you’re right about Jeanine/Brandon, but I think Evan could have been considered his own little powerhouse. Though I’m not sure anyone thought he would win, he had an incredible amount of support the whole season (never being in the bottom). Here’s to Robert having a killer solo and the night of his life tonight and we’ll just have to see what happens.
Robert! Robert! Robert!! He’s been my favorite this season, a real “dancer’s dancer” if there is such a thing. I’ve not been a fan of Lauren or Kent throughout the season, was more of an Ashley/Alex fan before they both tragically were hurt. I hope Robert wins, if for no other reason that he is the dark horse!
I know I could come off sounding bitter because of him booting off my man last week, but I can promise you that has nothing to do with how I feel about Robert. 🙂
I’ve really not gotten into his dancing since day one. I don’t feel that his emotion comes across as authentic. It’s not that I think he’s fake, because I’m sure he’s a great guy, but something about him rings hollow to me. His dancing seems, well, like a series of moves without the heart of it there (to me). The fav routine of his, for me, was the clowns last week, but that’s really the only one I can remember all season (except for the barbie dance because I despised every tragic second of it, lol).
I think he’s a great technician in his solos, and his form is often beautiful. But in a lot of his dancing he seems chaotic and sloppy, and in others he seems to lack the emotional connection that I’m looking for. I just haven’t been able to become a fan this season.
I think he’d be the only one I’d be disappointed about winning, tbh. (sorry, guys…I would be disappointed only for a second, though, because then I would feel happy for all of my puresytycd friends who would be thrilled…)
I like the Sabra/Danny comparison, dancing-wise–but not necessarily with Robert. I think Kent = Danny (but with a more open personality) and Sabra = Lauren. Kent has been strong since day 1 (like Danny) and Lauren has grown, improved and become a little powerhouse (like Sabra did).
And, similarly to back then, I would like Lauren to win.
I’ve really not gotten into his dancing since day one. I don’t feel that his emotion comes across as authentic. It’s not that I think he’s fake, because I’m sure he’s a great guy, but something about him rings hollow to me. His dancing seems, well, like a series of moves without the heart of it there (to me).
Wow, it’s really interesting how “connection” is something subjective, because this quote from Beth pretty much sums up my feelings about AdéChiké
The problem is that I cannot connect with his personality because I feel that it is extremely fake. He uses the same shocked facial reaction everytime he realizes he is still on the show and it is beyond annoying.
DITTO!
Or how about when Cat was reading out the numbers and he pretended to throw up – awkward – why? Because the guy is a try hard. He should not be there, Billy is heads and shoulders above Robert in terms of talent.
Robert does look a little like a Ken doll, this I’ll accept explains some of his popularity, but I refuse to accept America isn’t shallow enough to let him win on looks alone! For some bizarre reason Mia has taken on his cause, I don’t know why?! Normally Mia has come across as a “I take no shit or fake crap from anyone” type of woman – evident in how she continuously pans Kent – who – if he is being fake is certainly doing a better job of hiding it than Robert!
If it weren’t for this seasons obligatory “cancer” dance, he wouldn’t be where he is – if Billy or another dance had been given that choreography they too would be in the top 3.
@Richard, I felt the same way when I first started to watch Robert. But, if you look back, he has dropped a lot of the hamminess that he had at the beginning. Mia made a good point tonight, Robert came in to the show with eyes as big as saucers but I think he has become more grounded.
I understand what you’re saying about Billy, and I think they’re both incredibly talented. For some reason, Billy didn’t connect with the audience like he did last year. I think, had he been able to stay on the show last year, he would have done very well. But he got outshined this season by people like Kent and Lauren.
In terms of the “obligatory cancer dance,” I don’t look at that dance that way at all. The dance was incredibly personal for Travis, and Robert and Allison really embraced that. I actually liked the dance much more than I liked Tyce’s routine because there were more dance elements. Travis wasn’t trying to send a message or make a point, he just wanted to make a dance to document his relationship with his mom, which I think is a beautiful thing, especially for someone who is so much a part of the SYTYCD family.
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