Jacqui and Zack - These two doing any kind of West African dance movement is a non-starter. It was painful. Zack was better than Jacqui. He was giving me more dancing down into the floor, getting down in plie, giving me more contraction through the back and chest. Jacqui really did not let go like she should have. Misty mentioned a lot of face dancing and I agree. She was pulling face to distract from the fact that her body was still very pulled up and not aligned with what she should've been giving. They were helped out a ton by stellar costuming and make up. Well done, crack hos one and all. That was out of this world. But I didn't care for it. I think Nigel and Mary were just trying to make it be something phenomenal because it was the show closer. So to sum up, African Jazz? Still not a thing. Go away now. I do think these two are one of the better matched new pairs.
Crew competition? I still refuse.
Ugh. Poor Nick. He looked so devastated. Awww. That was a tough one. These kids are so young. That said, not sad to see him go. He just played too much to the camera. I actually think he's a more talented dancer than Casey but he was off putting to watch. Malene, well, it was no surprise that she went. She just did not match this year's cast. I'd have rather lost Brooklyn, but she'll be gone soon enough, I expect.
Wow, watching the recap, I think only Tanisha stood out of the girls. The boys are making more of an impression on me this time.
Tops this week
Ricky and Valerie - I suspect that Ricky will always be here.
Rudy and Tanisha – I still really loved this routine and these two went first so that’s some staying power. Rudy was aggressive. Tanisha was lithe. Both were sexy and had great chemistry with each other. I’m all good with this pair.
Serge and Carly - Well, mainly Serge. Carly didn't detract from the wonderousness that was Serge.
Lost their partners – New Pair next week
Jessica and Stanley – I do not see good things for this partnership next week. I think Stanley could easily be B3. Jessica probably not. She’ll still have leftover goodwill from her first week pairing with Ricky, plus she dislocated her shoulder, so she may garner some sympathy votes. Neither one was very good with their ousted partners this week, though, so they may both hit B3 next week.
On the bottom
Bridget and Emilio – He was good she was not. Both were forgettable.
Teddy and Emily – The whole was by far less than the sum of its parts. Also, forgettable and no chemistry.
Zack and Jacqui – I don’t actually think they’ll be B3, but they should be. Look up awkward in the dictionary and you’ll find their pictures.
Messy Middle
Brooklyn and Casey – Should be B3 but they got inexplicable love from the judges and they were technically proficient.
Marcquet and Jourdin – Will probably be B3 instead of Zack and Jacqui but shouldn’t be. The routine was not great and neither one of them wowed in it, but neither did they suck. They were just kind of there, lost in the white noise.
I’m missing someone but it’s also hella late for my still on West Coast time body, so that’s the best I can do with no rewind!
It's too bad it's not still the early 60s, because Malene could definitely get more work standing around with that styling! She looked amazing.
And didn't we think they were really going to push ballroom kids this year? That's already two down.
OK, finally managing to watch last night's SYTYCD (I was going to! I was home! And then I had a migraine).
I mostly liked that intro top-20 number, and was thinking "now this is more actual Broadway-type dancing" during parts of it (though not other parts), which makes sense given the choreographer! I wonder how much "starring role" means actual starring role vs. just being in it. And how much that will affect the judging for a winner...
WTF is this baseball BS? Waste of time. Give me more Vegas week instead!
Rudy and Tanisha--Sonya--I am so not feeling this. Is it the dancers, the music, the choreo? Maybe I'll know more when I read other reactions. It does not help that I can barely remember who these people are, most of them (seriously, halfway through this show and I'm like "Who are these people? What did they dance last week??). I do hate what they did to Tanisha's hair, so unflattering.
Valerie and Rickey--Travis--well, he looks lovely. She's OK.
Emilio and Bridget--I seriously don't even remember her?--hip hop--Does he need to be wearing so much pleather?? (Oh god, Nigel agrees with me!) Otherwise...not bad! There were a couple moments she wasn't great but mostly she was good! And oddly, I felt like the moments she was not good were the ones he was really good, but mostly I liked him a lot better last week?
Jessica and Nick--WEST COAST FREAKIN SWING! about damn time--I have to say though, mostly WCS is all about the improv--the biggest part of the dance conventions is always the Jack and Jills, where you enter and draw a random partner, and then have to dance with them to a random song! There are usually a few choreographed numbers, but I don't like them as much. AND the "classic" division your'e not allowed to do lifts! And Benji put like, 15 of them in here, which is a little weird. (Also, how did they make Benji not look so gay?) Shit, they dislocated her shoulder?!?! Jesus. OK, and my main issue with this (besides the fact that 90% of it was not WCS and the first bit before the song really started was weird...oh, and Benji is always going ON about how we don't dance to actual "swing" songs, but that wasn't one...) anyway. Point being...I did NOT see/feel any connection between them on the actual WCS parts. And he was...not really dancing right? His ass was sticking out weird in parts. Gotta watch again. Points, she is wearing the right shoes. On rewatch, I see the neck thing Misty Copeland is talking about, but def not my first thing. ...I can't wait to see what Kat says about this mess!
Let me instead link you to some dances I enjoy: here's one that's choreographed (and has a fair bit of non-WCS content): (Note also one reason I love WCS is it's one of the few where women compete in pants): [link]
And here is some amazing competition-winning improv (from Seattle): [link]
(There IS a lot of mugging for the audience, in most WCS comps--Benji is an extreme example, but not atypical, so Nigel's critique of that is probably a bit much) Honestly, I think they need a non-Benji choreographer.
Carly and Serge (he's kind of adorable, I gotta say)--Sonya (two Sonya routines in the same show?)--Oh, I'm liking her quite a lot! Not feeling him, adorable as he is. His spin was so ballroom!
Emily and Teddy: Why does she look kind of old? Is it her hair or her tan? Oh god those pants are unflattering on her. THis is...OK. I feel like two other people could've done a better job. He's better than she is, but isn't this his style or something? I don't remember them either. Am I getting old, that I can't remember shit?
Back spasms and dislocated shoulders? They are already breaking these children!!
Malene and Stanley--Broadway--damn, she's got legs. I feel like they each had points where they were good, and points where they weren't. I don't feel much of a connection--until the last few seconds when they were done, and weren't "dancing" anymore! Which...hmm. Nerves? Choreo? Awkward phone cord problem? (Ah yes, Misty (continued...)
( continues...) agrees)
Marcquet and Jourdan--wow, digits of pi?? jazz--he looks super awkward, especially on the ground. She's great though.
Brooklyn and Casey--tango--I have issue with his posture.
Jacque and Zach--"African jazz"--they look like Dr. Seuss characters! I am not feeling "fierce". I'll give her that she's TRYING for fierce in the face...he just looks silly with his open mouth. (Hmm, Misty disagrees with me)
I hate the idea of the group thing, but I do like these tapping girls. And my god, that sentence makes me sound like a 70-year old, all "I like that nice young man on the tee vee!".
And kicked off are? Malena (no shocker there) and...Nick. Eh. I'm so not invested in most of them, at this point.
OK, now to read what y'all wrote--there are a BUNCH of new messages, whee!!
And now comments on your comments!!
No DVR. Gah! I want to watch that opening Broadway number again and again and again. Die, Tasty Broadway, die! That's how you do it.
Kat was watching this on East Coast time?? Also...YES.
The choreo from Peanut was much better this week, but I still felt it was a little bit too on the nose. He's kind of in a slump, no?
Yeah, maybe it's doing too many for this show, or the constraints of it, or maybe he just needs new inspiration.
As far as Teddy, y'all, I just don't like him. I don't buy him as a hip hop kid. Everything feels like a put on. It's like he learned hip hop from buying lessons off the back of a cereal box.
I was kind of wondering if you were going to say his hip hop was like something out of a dance competition. And not a hip hop dance competition.
It's too bad it's not still the early 60s, because Malene could definitely get more work standing around with that styling! She looked amazing.
This. My god.
I wonder how much "starring role" means actual starring role vs. just being in it. And how much that will affect the judging for a winner...
I was wondering the same thing!
I'll just point and nod at everything y'all said. Especially
Give me a panel of Misty, Miss Debbie Allen and...maybe Christina Applegate any day!
How fun and informative would that be! Yes, please.
