Thursday, July 1, 2010

So You Think You Can Dance: The Top 8 Revealed by Kara Howland

I may have watched Alex’s Hip Hop piece a few more times last night after I posted my blog. Shhhh, don’t tell anyone.

I’m kind of on pins and needles wondering who is in the bottom and who will be sent home. If you actually missed tonight's show and can’t wait to know skip to the end. For the rest of you, you know what time it is. It's Cat time. How does our fair Cat fare? I like the black dress with the interesting shimmery pattern. I like the slight appearance of bedhead. She’s divine.

Let’s group dance.

O Fortuna (fr Carmina Burana) / London Symphony Orchestra & Richard Hickox
Choreographed by Jamal Gaines
I remember this music fondly from Brandon’s (season 5) solos. So powerful. And the dancing here is just that. It looks African and Jazz inspired. I’m digging it big time. Great control. Great height on jumps. Some nice featured solos while the rest of the “company” dances in the background. Very theatrical.

Cat hears there are changes afoot. Next week the remaining dancers will perform twice. For their first dance the producers will make sure the contestants dance will an All-star they’ve never danced with before. For their second performance the contestants will get to dance with each other. I like it.

Alex, Ashley, Adechike, and Kent are the first group up. They’re all safe as I suspected.

Lauren, Robert, and Billy are the next group up. Billy and Robert are in the bottom. I figured. Boo.
Mia: Billy and Robert aren’t connecting with America because they aren’t connecting with their partners. She thinks because people are always telling Billy he’s brilliant it’s stopping him from being open to growth and to being vulnerable and to making mistakes. Billy needs to make those mistakes, take a risk. With Robert, he has a great personality but he has to figure out for himself why he’s finding himself in the bottom 3.

Melinda and Jose are the final group up. It’s no shock that Melinda’s also in the bottom.
Adam: She was wrestling it like a tiger in her piece but what Melinda has to do now is show an enormous about of vulnerability and abandon. Those are the qualities that aren’t connecting.

Something new this week. They’re now going to remind us how we met our All-stars and show us some highlights. I can get behind that. Tonight it’s Mark and Courtney. And we see that crazy Sonja Tayeh Jazz piece performed again. Still love, love, loved it.

Guest Performance #1
The cast of Cirque du Solei’s Elvis. Cat mentions that both NappyTabs and Mandy Moore put tonight’s routine together.
Didja Ever/Return to Sender / Elvis Presley
Now that’s some nice in-sync dancing with a little stepping. Very strong and visually interesting so far. Now we’re getting the pairs dancing. Very cool costumers and great contemporary dancing. Really nice acrobatics. Wow. They are some amazing dancers. Really fun to watch and dynamic. Great tricks. And season 4 dancers Chris and Marquis were among them.

The solos

Billy
Fly / Ludovico Einaudi
Great form and control as always. I’m feeling the emotion. Wow, he is giving us some amazing technique and really eating up the stage with his dancing. That was really great.

Robert
Hater / Various Productions
He’s giving us quirky and strong. It’s a bit weird. I’m not sure this is really doing it for me. I didn’t love it and I didn’t hate it. Hmmm. I am puzzled.

Melinda
I like that she’s dancing without music. It really suits her but she didn’t show us abandon or great emotion tonight.

Guest Performance #2
Ne-Yo performing Beautiful Monster. We’re seeing the TV debut.
I do like this artist quite a bit and as he has dancers I will watch the performance. Ne-Yo is throwing some Michael Jackson in there and I’m loving it. Yay. The girls are finally getting up to dance. I like the battle of the sexes theme. It’s fun. The martial arts themed interlude was intricate and probably very exciting for the guys who are watching. I liked it.

Who is going home? Let’s go to Nigel: They are unanimous. Billy and Robert have heard a lot from the judges tonight. They’ve got to figure out for themselves what’s going wrong. They are both invited to sit down. They adore Melinda. She dances to the beat of her own drum. It was a pleasure to hear her tap a capella. There will always be work for her but it's time for her to go.

Melinda is a total class act. She’s gracious even in defeat but I’m really ready to see her head home. I think the judges did make a mistake in not sending her home last week. Billy and Robert – mostly Robert – have to bring it next week and every week after that they remain on this show. I hope they can find whatever they need within themselves to connect with the audience. I love them both and they’re connecting for me but a lot of America just isn’t getting them.

See you next week. Have a great 4th!

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