SYTYCD Memphis style.

After going through her brief whore phase, Mary has decided to dress like a soccer mom today. Alrighty, then.

The Blueprint – He’s awesome. So much body control. I was wanting more from the face from him. One thing I loved about Cyrus, and that makes most of the great hip-hop kids and b-boys really stand out on this show, is that he gave total performance. His face told the story just as much as his body did. This kid lacked a little of that expressiveness and therefore I found him less dynamic. But his isolations and just his whole style was amazing. And Mary put him on the fucking hot tamale train. Love it. I doubt he’ll make the show, but I enjoyed him.

Wayne Brady is a super fan. So cute.

Curtis – More tappers. They’re really going for it with the tappers this season. This kids’s pre-dance package is just precious. That smile... he’s infectious. I’m sold. Taklk about dizzy feet. I was tired just looking at him. I know jack about tap, but he seemed to be getting it in. A little sloppy and maybe lacking in control? I can’t call it. I was just enjoying it too much. His pirouettes were solid anyway. That was pure joy on that stage and love of dance. Yep. Still sold. I would’ve gone up and given him a hug just like Wayne did. I was glad to see Nigel give him some good critiques on his technique. I trust that feedback. Glad to see him make it through to choreo. Like the judges, I suspect, based on his turns, that he can do other styles.

Tucker Knox – I know this kid. What else has he been on? Has he auditioned for this show before? Gah. It’s gonna drive me crazy. That’s how you know you watch way too many dance reality shows. Awww, dance dad. Dance dad saves son from a burning car. Must resist the pull of darling dance dads. They are really trying to break down my sob story resistance. Got to keep the hate fires burning strong. As sob stories go, this kid has one of the better ones. Gorgeous. Just from that first step back. I am in love. The Feet. Check the feet. That is some toe point. There must’ve been a fire sale on pulls through second because that’s like the fifth person I’ve seen do that move. He did it beautifully, though. He’s lovely. Needs a haircut immediately, but he’s got good bones.

Contempo-tage –. Don’t care for pink bra girl – very trick heavy; love black and white shorts boy – great center and really dances down into the floor; grey headband – love her and she’s giving me Sasha vibes. I’m obsessed.

Courtney Thurston – And her dance dad. Alright, they are pouring it on real, real thick here with all the dance dads. “Dance saved me from everything.” Damn. I want that on a t-shirt. Nice turn sequence there at the beginning. A triple with a really great center. Then a lot of rolling around on the floor and reaching and hairography and good lord when will you start dancing again? And then another lovely turn sequence and then more messing about on the floor. This girl can clearly dance. She’s got flexibility and a nice center. The tour into splits in second was, as Nigel noted, amazing. But the choreography other than the turn sequences was shit. I’d like to see her in a well-choreographed piece because I suspect she has some talent. Dance dad is completely charming. The dancing was predictably geeky yet enthusiastic and the matching lucky pigs would’ve slayed me a lot more if I hadn’t already seen 70 million other dance dads trotted out to do pretty much the same thing already this season. I’m over it, show.

Bad audition-tage – Anyway.

ShanShan Qiao Rothlisberger – That is a mouthful. Gorgeous girl. And Nigel gets to show that he can read the production team’s notes on traditional Mongolian dance. For everyone’s sake, let’s just ignore the business with the horse milk, shall we? Wow, I love the shoulders she is giving me. This is just so peaceful and pretty. I can’t say anything else. Pretty. Soft arms, soft hands, balance, poise, posture, center, nice extension into her arabesque with a whole mess of bowls on her head! I mean. Gosh. I really enjoyed that. I hope Nigel doesn’t decide to make this the next ethnic dance on the show. You know he wants to. I can see why they are sending her to choreo. Sincerely hope she can do other styles.

Nico Greetham – Latinas in the house. Loud and proud. He’s so frantic. And he just throws his moves away. He throws his energy away. I feel like I’m watching a floor routine, not a dance. And he fell out of his turns. I was not impressed with papi. Eh, I don’t like him.

Elise – Dressed like Beetlejuice. OK. And she practices the circus arts. OK. Can she dance? That’s really all I care about. Get up off the floor already. Well, those turns were quite shaky. She’s very flexible. But I’m seeing more acrobatics than dance. And whatever is going on in the boob area with the costume is so, so distracting. I didn’t like much beyond that first pose. She did have a nice flow. I’ll give her that. She’s quite musical. I have questions about her actual technique. I suspect Vegas will eat her alive.

Choreo Round – Sasha’s back. All is right with the world. Tapper is burning the floor. Thank you very much. ShanShan not so much. They put her through anyway, though. Bad decision. And they put him through, too. Good decision.

SYTYCD Memphis Day Two

Jenna Johnson – Cha Cha Cha. Look at those legs. Killer! Oh, she’s everything. I loved that little develope at the beginning . And look at the booty. Legs. She’s killing me with the legs. I can’t even. Fantastic and sexy. Yes. That’s what I’m talking about. Landon is a great partner. Definitely Vegas material for next year.

Nobian Yarber – Those pants are ridonk. And you do not look like a hip hopper, baby. Not at all. And, Baryshnikov showed that technical dancers can show raw masculinity long before you were even born, sweetie. Now that we’ve taken care of that, let me just say, you are the realness. I don’t even have words for the vision you put down on that stage. I’ve rewound it and watched it twice already and I will watch it many, many, many more times tonight. Give me that flexed foot, child. I am dying. Born to dance. Here’s another one for Miss Debbie Allen to drool over. Yes, yes, yes. That’s how I like it. I like it like that.

Isabel Fryberger – Salsa. Nice. They could use a good salsa girl. She’s a great little spinner. But she’s a little bit static otherwise. She’s not very rhythmical. They have great tricks. That’s for sure. But she lacks hip action for me. She’s just kind of a trick factory. Mary didn’t like it. When she’s really excited about ballroom kids, she wants to send them straight through. And I agree with that. She’s not terrible but I’m not sold.

Caleb Brauner – Ummm. He exhausted me just in the pre-dance package. He seems the type who’d be funny for a second, but that would get old real fast. I do like that he had a well-choreographed piece. Sadly, he’s not that great at contemporary dance. He lacks finesse. Lacks a little flexibility. Gets by a lot on character work. His turns are very juvenile. I don’t think he’ll get very far although I’m sure they’ll put him through now that they’ve introduced his dance dad. And he was super sweet with his dance dad. Dance dads make everything better. Oh, and he’s a much better hip hop kid than he is contempo kid. He should’ve done that from the jump.

Men-tage – SYTYCD Chicken. Ha! Shark t-shirt owns just for dancing to Poison. White t-shirt has a center on him. Nice. Wayne Brady doing Lil C is hilarious. No shirt dude is mmm mmmm good. I’ll take it.

Larry Booze – The face is … what’s going on with his face? Is he high? Oooooh, fancy feet. I like it. The glides are insane. I don’t even know how that’s possible. Clever routine. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Made me forget about the busted face. Through to choreo, Larry Booze. Well done.

Jasmine Harper – Stay up out of her business. Ewwww. Did not like that intro at all. Luckily ,she can turn it out on her own merits. Like most of these kids, she’s in desperate need of a choreographer. But it’s not So You Think You Can Choreograph. I think I may have loved the end most when she just finished a turn in a perfect fifth position. Solid technique on this one, even though she was a little bit frantic throughout. We’ll see what Vegas brings. I hope we don’t have to hear about Cyrus every time she’s on screen. Let her rise or fall on her own merits.

kat,

you have a good memory. He was in the Brooklyn auditions in 2009. He went straight through to Vegas, but had to pass because he was accepted to Juilliard.

[link]

Bless you, le Nubian! I knew we'd seen him somewhere before. I never forget a pretty dancer.

Paige Pellicano – Oh, no. The Dance dad saga takes a dark turn. Poor thing. She is so embarrassed. Oh, show. Why you do that girl like that? That is a lot of hairography at the beginning. I confess that I don’t know if this girl can actually dance, but I don’t think so. Hair flinging nightmare. Competition studio trick factory kid. What’s missing is dance ability beyond your garden variety decent studio kid. I’m so glad that they are knocking her down seventeen pegs. She’s gonna do the choreo with the same competition 101 habits she had in her solo. Either they like that or they don’t. I don’t see the point in putting her through to that round, but we’ll see.

Choreo Round – Good on ya, Larry Booze for withdrawing from the field of battle. Salsa girl is lost. Completely lost. And she doesn’t get through. Not surprised. She wasn’t all that great. Paige is not moving on either. Again, not surprised. Why did we waste our time with her? Just to see her dad do Elvis? Mmmph.

Vegas, baby!

Ummm, why do I not see Miss Debbie Allen on my Vegas judges panel? Oh, hell no! Somebody’s got some splaining to do.

Kat,

I am just getting to the salsa woman. She isn't very good IMO. She needs about 1-2 more years. She wobbled on some of the spins and she isn't loose enough.

Love the kat! Bob bob could not stop giggling at the discussion of Booze's busted face (which improved with some blotting, but still).

Yeah, salsa girl needs to work on her fundamentals. You can tell she's been prizing tricks over the basic steps. I agree that a couple of years of seasoning would help a lot provided she doesn't spend the whole time just learning more tricks and spins.

Ha, bon bon! I agree that it looked like someone on the make up team sacrificed some of their crack powder to take the shine off of Booze's face. He was still kinda busted, though.

He looked like Eddie Griffin!

He looked like Eddie Griffin!

Yesssss. Undercover Dancin' Brother! I used to bust moves at the dance-a-thon, now I help you get your SYTYCD chicken on. That's perfect.

Now I need to see that movie again.

Oh you guys, I started seeing ads for Big Brother this week. Can I resist?? Unclear.