Who inspires our Top 9? We’ll find out shortly. And for the first time this season we’ve got two males dancing together. I always love the girl on girl and/or guy on guy action so I’m really excited. Hey, keep it clean! In the past, the Top Ten dances twice a night so now in addition to the partner dancing we’ll be seeing solos as well.
But first, how does my Cat look tonight? Amazing. I love the shimmery metallic dress and the pretty hair and makeup. She’s just lovely.
Growing up in Brooklyn, there were no contemporary, ballet, or modern dancers for Adechike to look up to. Alvin Alley’s Desmond Richardson was someone he wanted to be like. Desmond kept him inspired and motivated.
All-star partner: Lauren
Dave Scott / Hip Hop
Rehearsal: They’re having fun. Muscles and cushion.
Hot-N-Fun / N.E.R.D feat. Nelly Furtado
Performance: I like the outfits already. I know they have no choice in picking them but sometimes they can really help. They’re not exactly together but Adechike’s hitting it pretty hard. Fun story. I like this partnership. Adechike looks like he’s actually having some fun. Very enjoyable. I am a huge fan of Dave Scott. I got so excited when they mentioned his name.
Judge’s critiques
Nigel: Dave Scott is bringing Adechike’s swagger and natural funk out. Great chemistry.
Mia: Welcome, Mr. Personality. It just shifted for him. She’s so happy to see that there’s some sunshine in there. Solid performance, solid piece of work. Yay!
Adam: Wooooo! He gives Adechike a standing ovation. Thanks for listening, learning, for dropping that wall. Adam’s so proud of him. Keep it up.
Ashley’s inspiration is her dance teacher. Without her, Ashley wouldn’t be the dancer she is today.
All-star partner: Ade
Dee Caspary / Contemporary
Rehearsal: Ashley is broken, she can’t stand or move on her own. Ade is her backbone. Trusting Ade is what it’s all about. They’re intertwined the whole time. They dance as one.
Cosmic Love / Florence + The Machine
Performance: I like the concept and so far the execution is very interesting – in a good way. Ade’s always a very strong partner and he’s totally there for her. I like the strange and new body positions they’re both making. Great connection. Really nice pair dancing. I like the separate moments as well as the connected moments. Very nice.
Judge’s critiques
Nigel: They’re seeing contemporary again but she’s a completely different dancer this week. Doesn’t know if it’s Dee choreography or not. The steps didn’t get in the way; she just danced. Dee’s choreography is beautiful. This has been Ashley’s finest performance. Beautifully smooth. She let go and she completely engrossed us.
Mia: Being able to completely surrender yourself and know that someone will be there to catch you – what an amazing, beautiful concept. Extraordinary. Like a hurricane, like a summer breeze. Ashley is a cut above the other female dancers. Ashley is still her favorite female dancer.
Adam: Ashley is breathtaking. That was unbelievable and probably one of the best contemporary female performances of any season.
Billy’s solo
Something Bigger, Something Better / Amanda Blank
Great extension and lines. Wow. He is very flexible. Great control in his turns. Nice height on jumps. I still really love him.
Robert’s biggest inspiration is his mom. She’s been through a divorce, had three miscarriages, and had two babies born alive who later died. And she’s battled breast cancer. She made him the person he is today.
All-star partner: Courtney
Sonja Tayeh / Jazz
Rehearsal: Sonja’s goal is for the world to see how dynamically beautiful Robert is. The dance is powerful, intense, and creepy. Sonja pushes Robert to his limit.
XXXO / M.I.A.
Performance: Very Sonja, which is always a compliment. Great work by these two. Nice in-sync dancing. Great form. Great energy. Wow, he’s really throwing Courtney around that stage. Great partnership. It wasn’t pretty but that’s not what I wanted. Nice job.
Judge’s critiques
Nigel: You can always tell a Sonja Tayeh piece. Outstanding. It suits Robert just as it suited Mark. He’s a very strong dancer. Lovely to see that Mark’s not contained and tight. Wants to see Robert that strength in everything he does.
Mia: Take ballet. It will refine him, ground him, give his movement weight. He’s amazing, but with that training it will take Robert to a new level. Great performance. Strength and twistedness was there. Great piece.
Adam: Robert is so engaged and engaging. So much commitment. Robert nailed the punctuation and the stops. Don’t jump down. He was awesome.
Further comment: I’m not sure anyone will ever be as wonderfully quirky as Mark and I don’t really want Robert to try. Having said that I still think Robert performed this piece very well. Did it have the flash and bang it needed to make people pick up the phone for him? I’m not sure it did.
Jose’s solo
Superbad / James Brown
Always engaging in his own style. Great balance and control in his head spin. Great tricks. Very nice job.
Melinda is inspired by so many things and people. Tap legend Harold Cromer is someone who inspires her. She met him seven years ago and he took her under his wing – passing on knowledge and wisdom about tap and about life.
All-star partner: Pasha
Fabian Sanchez / Salsa
Rehearsal: Melinda is Colombian so grew up with Salsa dancing. Salsa entails luring the guy in by being sexy and sensuous and playful. It’s a new side of Melinda.
Magdalena, Mi Amor (Quimbara) / D.L.G.
Performance: Nice opening. That heel caught in her dress could have really thrown Melinda off but I’m glad she took time to fix the problem. Pasha is amazing. Melinda is…not bad. I’m not hating her in this style. She’s doing a decent job at being sexy but I’m not sure she totally believes it. I’m seeing some really great tricks though. I like this new choreographer. And she’s attacking it now. It got a little better for me as it went on.
Judge’s critiques
Nigel: He has a small problem. He doesn’t feel the fluidity of her movement. There’s a breakdown. The musicality of it didn’t sit comfortably.
Mia: Danced as hard as she could. At moments it feels like there are bricks on her legs. Pigeon toes are very obvious at moments. There are moments where Mia feels like they made a mistake last week by letting Cristina go.
Adam: Adam feels the same way about Cristina. There was a bit of a struggle. This is so far out of Melinda’s genre. She’s got a lot of gumption. She’s got tenacity and fire. Not sure that will get her through this week.
Further comment: I can’t believe I liked her performance more than the judges did but I think I’m giving her a lot of credit for really attacking it. I do think they made a mistake in letting Cristina go last week and as soon as Melinda picked Pasha out of the hat I knew she’d be in trouble. I think she might squeak by this week if they really want to get rid of a guy but I’m ready to see her go.
Kent’s solo
Down (Candlelight Remix) / Jay Sean
Great quality of movement. Great height in jumps. He’s a fun dancer to watch. Nice strength. He looks like he’s attacking it and having fun with it at the end there.
Alex’s solo
Rule the Planet / Planet of the Apes (soundtrack)
Wow. Nice opening. Great music. He’s showing some nice range. Great height on jumps and tricks. I still love him.
Lauren’s biggest inspiration is her student council advisor. Lauren goes to her for dance, family, and school problems. She’s in Haiti right now. She’s who Lauren wants to be when she grows up.
All-star partner: Neil
Joey Dowling / Broadway
Rehearsal: It’s all about this paperboy who sees a 1940’s actress and starts daydreaming about her. Because this is a daydream, they can be overdramatic in what they do. Lauren thinks seducing Neil will be kind of easy.
Let Me Entertain You / Debbie Gibson
Performance: Totally fun. I love it when Joey Dowling choreographs. Neil is a great partner but I can’t say I’m feeling the chemistry. It seems like they’re having fun but Lauren’s back to just dancing the steps. Wardrobe malfunction! Lauren recovered nicely. I liked the steps but not necessarily the delivery.
Judge’s critiques
Nigel: That was a seduction and a half. Enjoyed it tremendously. Extremely seductive. Didn’t always feel the chemistry. It works out very well in the end.
Mia: Great piece, danced really well. Wants more slinkiness. As an athletic female dancer, Lauren has to work harder to have that feminine quality. If Lauren doesn’t tap into the character 100% don’t let that take her out of the race. Wants Lauren to let go a little bit more.
Adam: Wants Lauren to think of herself as dancing through water. For Adam, she brought back a young Sid Charisse. Jerome Robbins would have been proud. She’s great.
Ashley’s solo
Royal T / Crookers feat. Roisin Murphy
Started a bit to slow for me but great energy and movement after that. Nice control. Great use of the stage. I’m still a fan.
One of Billy’s inspirations is Legacy from Season 6. He saw him perform at a Florida theme park, which got him into Hip Hop.
All-star partner: Kathryn
Stacey Tookey / Contemporary
Rehearsal: The backstory is that Billy has broken her heart. She’s finally collected all the pieces and he comes back.
Jar of Hearts / Christina Perri
Performance: Awesome choreography so far. I’m loving the movement. Kathryn is giving him a lot and he’s there for her. Billy is really proving to us how amazing he is. Great music choice. Ah, I’m loving it. Nice chemistry at the end. Nice in-between moments.
Judge’s critiques
Nigel: The best moment is at the end when they weren’t doing anything. He’s such a brilliant dancer and soloist. He’s got to get into partnerships with people. Didn’t quite believe it.
Mia: He gets so caught up in the perfection of the lines and technique that she loses him. So genius. She respects him as an artist but he needs to bring the element of connection. That’s the only thing that’s lacking.
Adam: Thinks Billy will see it all in playback. He’s superhuman. He could be one of the most exciting things to happen to dance in a long time.
Further comment: I get their point. In previous weeks I think Billy has made it look too easy but tonight I felel like he made it beautiful and connected. If he can work on chemistry, he might become close to unbeatable.
Robert’s solo
Hold You In My Arms / Ray LaMontagne
He can be wonderfully quirky. I see the joy in his dancing and it’s beautiful. Very emotive. Great form. I heart him.
Jose used to do Kung Fu and was inspired by Bruce Lee as a kid. He applied Bruce Lee’s philosophy to breaking.
All-star partner: Anya
Dmitry Chaplin / Samba
Rehearsal: This is the first time Jose has to do a partnering dance. They crashed a couple of times but that’s part of the process. Anya trusts him.
Long Time / Shakira
Anya is so freaking amazing. I love her. Jose’s doing ok so far. His form is off but he’s definitely there for her. He might be concentrating a little too hard. Jose’s giving it the old college try but he’s not doing it for me. I still love him but that wasn’t good enough.
Judge’s critiques
Nigel: It’s great to have Dmitry back. He brings out the man of Jose. Dmitry’s introduced him into the “lost buttons on the shirt” club. Jose isn’t the best dancer on the show but he has magic in his eyes and smile. He’s got charisma. Jose controlled Anya. It’s pleasing to see. It brings a smile to Nigel’s face to watch Jose dance.
Mia: Completely baffles her. He’s not a great dancer in different genres but she loves Jose so much. He brings a sense of humbleness and openness and joyfulness that’s contagious. Jose just makes them happy.
Adam: Brilliant. Commitment, abandon. Jose made the dance work for Adam.
Melinda’s solo
Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down / Alicia Keys
Great music choice. She knows she’s fighting for her life here and she’s doing a great job. Nice tricks. Great movement across the stage. I enjoyed it and I love that she’s still smiling.
Kent’s biggest inspiration is his older brother Jared, who is becoming a youth pastor. Kent admires the way he lives his life.
All-star partner: Allison
Mandy Moore / Jazz
Rehearsal: Piece is based on strong dynamics, beautiful bodyline, and instant chemistry. Allison says Kent’s biggest challenge is to be a man instead of just acting like one.
Heartburn / Alicia Keys
Allison is a great partner and there’s some nice partner work. Kent has great form and totally commits but I don’t think he’s connecting with Allison the way he should be – he’s dancing out a lot. This is great choreography though. Nice acrobatics. I don’t see why this is Jazz piece per se, but it’s highly enjoyable.
Judge’s critiques
Nigel: Kent’s got a great personality. He’s gonna be tough on Kent this week. Tells him to be careful to keep an honesty to his work. Kent’s becoming a little fake in his performance. Lines are terrific. He’s got a magical quality. Kent should have been using his partner instead of playing to the audience. Keep the integrity of the dance.
Mia: Kent gets caught up on the television personality of it as opposed to the artistry. Mia wants to see him going into different vocabulary and environments. It felt a little green, a little like a competition dancer. The work was there; it was how Kent translated it.
Adam: He wants to talk about Kent’s future. Kent is one of the most hirable dancers they’ve had on the show. He’s got to lose the hungry Jazz face. He’s better than that.
Adechike’s solo
Ruthless Gravity / Craig Armstrong
I really enjoy Adechike dancing in his own style. The positions he gets his body in are really amazing. He’s a great technician. Perhaps a bit too serious, but I still liked it.
Lauren’s solo
Unchained Melody / Cyndi Lauper
She’s an amazing technical dancer. It’s insane. I’m feeling the emotion. Great job.
Alex’s biggest inspiration was Edward Villella. He started out as a boxer from Queens and was known as the most masculine dancer in America. He made it cool for guys like Alex to dance. Edward took him under his wing at the Miami ballet.
All-star partner: Twitch
Tabitha & Napoleon Dumo / Hip Hop
Rehearsal: Tabitha was excited to have two guys until she found out she has Alex. Alex is very out of his element this week. Alex has to forget everything he’s been trained to do.
Outta Your Mind / Lil Jon & LM*AO
Performance: Great concept. Nice transitions. Alex is really committed and impressively loose. So much fun. Great partnership. It’s really surprising to see Alex dance in this style – and so well. He’s killing it. Really fun and clever. Nice ending. I watched it three times. The judges are on their feet.
Judge’s critiques
Nigel: Not an ordinary routine. Concept is brilliant. It’s the best routine they’ve ever done on the show. Thanks to Twitch. This is about Alex though, doing the most incredible hip hop. If this routine isn’t up for an Emmy… One of the most fun Hip Hop routines they’ve ever had on the show.
Mia: Who the hell is he? Alex has defied everything about the ballet world. She is completely shocked. Seeing Alex dance next to Twitch is unreal and he’s the best in the business. Perfection.
Adam: This is Alex’s world and Adam is just visiting. He cannot tell Alex how proud Alex just made him be on this show. He can’t believe it. NappyTabs makes him crazy, he’s so proud of them.
That’s the way to end a show! NappyTabs is back. I don’t always love them but they really stepped it up this week. In fact, I was really happy with all the choreographers. Sometimes I think they’re just not inspired by their dancers but that wasn’t the case tonight. The other dancer I really loved tonight was Ashley. Dee Caspary is an absolutely welcome addition to the show. I know I sometimes experience choreographer fatigue so I love when the show adds new people to the mix. And even though I didn’t enjoy Melinda’s piece as much as I wanted to, I’m very happy to see new choreographer Fabian Sanchez added to the SYTYCD family.
Who do you think is in trouble? Melinda for sure. I think Jose could be in trouble even with his charisma. If we go on performance alone he should be in the bottom. Since Lauren took a bit of a step back in terms of her emotional connection to her partner she may be in the bottom. If I had to guess which other guy might be in danger, I would suggest Kent. I think it would be good to see him in danger. It would only help his level of performance and maybe make him really work on connecting with his partner. But if I’m being realistic, I'd say Kent is safe and Robert is on the chopping block. I liked his partner dance and his solo but I wonder if America likes him enough to keep him in this competition.
What did you think? I know you voted.
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