OTOH, I didn't care for Marko and Alison's number at all, and that was Sonya, too. It just didn't hold my attention.

I thought their number was a rehash of last year's Alex and Alison's piece.

le nubian, I totally got what Lady Gaga was saying about the Marko/Ricky hip hop choreo feeling contrived but I enjoyed it mostly because Marko was a beast in that routine and he ripped it. Old school locking, the glides, popping, the b-boy tricks, there was even some hyphy in there (that's all the super fast footwork at the end) and he crushed it all. He elevated the piece for me and that's what I enjoyed more than the piece itself. Come to think of it, that's true of the piece he did with Alison, too. I wholeheartedly agree that it was mainly warmed over elements of past dances, including the very first lift which I swear I saw in Alex and Alison's dance from last year. I think last night might be the best I've ever seen Marko dance on the show, maybe because his mom was in the audience? (Oh, and I'm not complaining about the tears. I love that he gets that close to the bone when he dances! I just think it's funny that every week, he's a jibbering mess after his dances. He must be exhausted!)

I didn't see NappyTab's piece for Jess and I am so glad of that because in the recap I saw that not only was it NappyTab in what looked like their lyrical hip hop mode (which I hate) but also there was the return of Mischa Chan and now I'm thinking that my tv was just trying to protect itself by going out when that shit was on because had I had to deal with all that all up in my face, I might've thrown a shoe through the screen and not because I was giving mad props for a job well done.

Overall, I felt the choreography this week was not up to the high standard of Top 10 week, but the quality of the dancers stayed at an extremely high level that pushed some of the pieces from OK to I really like that even though on their own merits they might be not that special.

I liked the Marko/Ricky dance, but I was irritated that it seemed when they were doing the fast footwork the cameras would focus on their upper bodies most of the time.

Camerapeople, make up, hair and wardrobe people on SYTYCD = all on that junk. It really is distractingly bad at times. It was also tough on the hyphy section because Marko and Ricky got out of time with each other.

Wardrobe - are they the people we can blame for dance "costumes" consisting of underwear (and, sometimes, diapers)?

I was pretty stunned at how thoroughly Melissa threw herself at Neil. Talk about trusting your partner - she was coming full force.

Neil was pretty good, not that I was really looking at him except at his butt that one time. But he's not hunchy any more, I think!

Psst, it's Melanie, not Melissa.

I actually gasped with the whole "hand to my breast" thing when she leapt. That was fearless and beautiful. I think she's part elf. Or possibly part Muppet. And I mean that in the best way.

Heh, I've been up since 4am. I can't tell you how many tries it took me to spell "threw" right.

I believe the kids choose their own wardrobe for their solos, so sadly we can not blame the wardrobe 'hos for the underwear as dancewear trend this season. Only for the hideous costumes they wear during the choreographed pieces.

Melanie is just a wonder - 10 across the board. That's why she got the special Mitchell shout out last week along with Ricky. She never does anything halfway. She and Marko throw themselves into everything, which is what stands them head and shoulders above the other dancers on the show. I mean, yes, they both have gorgeous technique, but so do a lot of other kids who are already gone and long forgotten. When you have that much conviction and commitment in your dancing . . . that you are willing to fling yourself recklessly into the air trusting your partner to catch you, that you get so deep in your dance moment that you wind up crying after every performance? That's when you go beyond technique and just become a dancer. I don't know. Love those two kids oodles and oodles. I think I like them even more apart than I did together. Blasphemy!

And the Hunchback turned it out last night. Respect.

I gasped out loud and said HOLY SHIT at that Melanie leap.

I also loved Gaga talking shit about the choreo and everything else that wasn't about dancing, because why not?

Marko also cries when he's safe every week, which I also find endearing.

Also also, I loved so many of the songs they used this week! I forgot about "Take a Bow"!