Here’s what I don’t want to see this week: Anyone knocked out of the competition due to injury. Here’s what I do want to see: Great technique and joy while dancing. Is that too much to ask? I hope not.
And let’s move on to the lovely, the lively Cat. Her makeup is flawless today. I don’t know what to say about that dress other then I’m not enjoying it. Sorry.
What the hades. Where is Billy? I don’t care that it’s the 150th show (ok, I do). I want to know where Billy is. WHERE IS BILLY? Stop stalling.
For the special 150th episode we have a guest judge. Dancer turned choreographer, turned director and producer. You’ve heard of him. Kenny Ortega. Nice.
Another day, another injury. Bill has injured his knee and he’s not ok to perform this week. Billy will automatically go into the bottom 3. Nigel says there is good news. Their costume designer has won an Emmy. That is nice and I don’t want to take anything away from her but I’m still disappointed about Billy. The remaining contestants will dance three times tonight.
Lauren
All-star partner: Twitch
Tabitha & Napoleon / Hip Hop
Rehearsal: They’re taking hip-hop to the wild, wild west. It’s dirty and grimy. They meet up for a showdown.
My Chick Bad / Ludacris & Nicki Minaj
Performance: Slight prop malfunction. I like that weird rolling thing Lauren’s doing. It’s so slow, which is good because we can see all the moves but I like hip-hop when it’s faster. But don’t get me wrong, Lauren’s totally killing it. Not my favorite but Lauren danced the heck out of it.
Judge’s critiques:
Adam asks who Lauren is. She’s not the girl who auditioned in Vegas. She just tore it up. She listens to the music so beautifully. Mia says giddy-up. She goes so hard. Mia loves that she’s aggressive and kept her sexy girl. Kenny is a huge fan of the show. Save a horse ride a cowboy. Lauren has enough energy to power LA. She comes with such courage and conviction. Nigel says Lauren rises to every occasion. She’s grown tremendously. It was a sick routine.
Jose
All-star partner: Allison
Sonja Tayeh / Contemporary
Rehearsal: This piece is about a couple who meets, falls in love, then parts. Dancing on the edge of the stage represents the risks of love for Sonja.
Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind Theme / Jon Brion
Performance: I’m seeing some nice fluidity. Great character work. Allison is amazing. Have I mentioned that before? It’s really cool to see most of the performance on the edge of the stage. It’s new and interesting. Very, very Sonja. And that’s a compliment.
Judge’s critiques:
Adam tells Sonja the piece is beautifully conceived. It’s hard to critique. Jose’s commitment is perfect. His character is totally realized. In his partner work he was 100% there for her. Jose isn’t dancing in the conventional sense of the term. Mia feels the same. She loves the piece, it’s conceptually genius. She didn’t see much growth technically but she thinks it’s good. Kenny says Allison is a breathtakingly beautifully dancers. Jose earns her trust. He was exquisite in his partnering. Nigel says it was joyous to see his commitment. Sonja has brilliantly covered up his weaknesses.
Further comment: I totally agree with the judges although, once again, I feel like he’s getting a pass. Jose needs to show improvement – significant improvement – every week to stay in the competition. His commitment is there and he;s a great partner for Allison, who is a wonderful technician.
Robert
All-star partner: Lauren
Tyce Diorio / Jazz
Rehearsal: There’s no story other then they’re seducing each other. They’re speaking with their bodies. Robert says Lauren’s hot so it’s easy to get into.
Wasted Time / My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult
Performance: Great partnership. They’re selling the sexy for me. It might be partly due to those crazy costumes but I’m buying it. Robert might be working the audience just a little too much for me. It was hot. Great physicality to it. Very enjoyable.
Judge’s critiques:
Adam says they are smoking. Lauren, ouch. He tells Rob he is so good. Robert commands the stage. He’s a great partner. He’s starting to lose himself a little more but warns him to be conscious of his hands. Mia says it’s a breath of fresh air. It’s nice to see strong dancing, to see what he’s capable of. She can’t wait to see how Robert matures as a dancer. Kenny says Robert really needed this piece. It shows he is grounded. He loved the movement and the turmoil in the piece. They are really engaged. Nigel also loved the smooth Jazz feel to it. An inspiration for guys wanting to dance has got to be Lauren.
Further comment: Robert danced it very well. I also noticed the head thing but I guess it didn’t really bother me. This was a great showcase for his talent.
Adechike’s solo
This Woman’s Work / Maxwell
Great movement. He’s a great aerialist. Nice precision. He made a very wise choice to dance shirtless. Very nice job. I think that’s the best we’ve ever seen him in his own style.
Kent
All-star partner: Kathryn
Sonja Tayeh / Jazz
Rehearsal: The routine is about having fun and accepting who you are. Sonja wants Kent to celebrate himself. The choreography never stops. Sonja’s yelling makes Kent want to fight more.
Tightrope / Janelle Monae
Performance: I’m feeling the fun. Kathryn is proving exactly why Kent was so excited to dance with her. Some great acrobatics. Very nice partner work. What a great partnership. So much fun. They did a great job.
Judge’s critiques:
Apparently the entire studio audience loves Kent. Adam says Kent is making the show more special. He is something else. They’ve never had anyone like him on the show. Mia says Kent is a strong dancer however for her the problem is that his face is so animated it can take the work to a juvenile level. Technique and strength were great. Kenny likes the choreography. Kent is awesome. He’s the guy to beat. Nigel says for the last two weeks, Kent’s almost out danced the all-stars which is the biggest complement he can give him.
Further comment: Kent needs to tone down the awe-shucks persona. I’m tired of it. I think he’s a great dancer and I think he’ll be hard to beat. He’s ready to win a competition like this but all his female fans will vote for him until their hands bleed.
Robert’s solo
Parachutes / Trevor Hall
Nice levels. Great emotion and technique. He is totally throwing himself around the stage, which I like. Happy birthday Robert!
Lauren’s solo
The Waves / Elisa
Great technique. Nice use of the stage. I don’t know why I didn’t love it because she’s usually a dancer I love to watch perform.
Adechike
All-star partner: Comfort
Tabitha and Napoleon / Lyrical Hip Hop
Rehearsal: This dance represents the struggle people experience in a relationship when they know they need to leave but their heart won’t let them.
Fallin’ / Alicia Keys
Performance: Great story that’s very well performed so far. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Comfort this fit or this good. Adechike is totally killing it. Great emotion. I loved it.
Judge’s critiques:
Adam feels like he is watching a movie. So intense and beautiful and horrifying. Everything Adechike is feeling right now is what he made Adam feel. Mia says that felt more real than any contemporary piece. That was unbelievable. That is the highest level of dance. He let so much out on that floor. They got a really big taste of who Adechike really is. Kenny has to believe that part of the marvel of what we just witnessed comes from what the choreographers give to the dancers. Adechike has it in him. It was beautifully connected. Nigel thinks it’s difficult to critique because the dancing moved to another level. NappyTabs have the ability to put emotion to their routines. Adechike has just shown American what honesty in dancing is.
Further comment: I watched it twice. Adechike is such a passionate and skilled dancer. It was so nice to see that amazing emotional honesty between him and Comfort.
Jose’s solo
Give It Up or Turnit a Loose / James Brown
Great personality, as always. Fun tricks. He seems like he’s having a lot of fun, which I always love to see.
Kent’s solo
End of the Road (A Capella) / Boyz II Men
He’s an impressive athlete. Nice jumps and emotion. He is a very good dancer. Great job.
Lauren and Robert
Dmitry Chaplin / Samba
Rehearsal: Two people meet at a beach party. They’re flirting with each other. The samba has to be flirtatious from the girl and masculine from the guy. The samba is the hardest Latin American dance.
Drummer Boy (SYTYCD Remix) / Debi Nova
Performance: Great form as far as I can tell. I feel the sexy. I’m having fun watching it but it does look hard. Great partner connection. A bit of a malfunction on the last lift but it was a great effort.
Judge’s critiques:
Adam wants a T-shirt that says “ You shot me with your butt.” Robert’s lines are so crisp. His partner connection is so good. Lauren’s retractions and footwork are unbelievable. Mia is so pleased with that performance. Robert looks like a Samba dancer. Mia thinks the hips and butt were great but she wants to see Lauren “up” more. Kenny says Robert and Lauren did that extremely well. Robert’s partnering is amazing. Nigel says Robert’s upper body reminds him of Dmitry. He’s done himself proud. He tells Lauren to be careful in her turnout. Really enjoyable. She made contact with her partner and us. Very good.
Further comment: I also saw some small technical problems (from what I could tell, and I can’t say I have an eye for it) but I found them engaging and connected. Nice chemistry.
Adechike and Jose
Dmitry Chaplin & Legacy / Paso Doble
Rehearsal: For the first time in SYTYCD history, they’re doing an all-male Paso Doble. They have two matadors who are fighting for glory. The piece is really physical. It’s a battle but they need to work as a team.
The Arrival/Rampage/Continue Existence / James Dooley
Performance: I love the concept. Jose is trying his hardest but Adechike is totally dominating him. Adechike has the presence and commitment. I would have liked to see Adechike dance this with any other guy. It feel unfinished. I wanted more.
Judge’s critiques:
Adam loves how committed they were. They are completely connected in their partnership. Technically this is outside their area. He wants to see Jose stretch his legs and feet. Adechike could have used more abandon. Good effort. Mia thinks they did ok with it. Aesthetically it was nice to look at. It was flailing. The focus was there. Good attempt. Kenny thinks it was a valiant effort for believing in the piece and pouring their hearts into it. Nigel agrees with his diplomatic colleagues. We have a lot to learn from the ballroom guys who attack it. Nigel loves that guys are dancing together but they’re a little lacking. It wasn’t everything he wanted it to be.
Further comment: The judges were way too diplomatic in their critiques. We know that none of the judges ever seem to have harsh words for Jose but tonight they should have laid into him. Adechike deserved some harsh words too but he was much stronger and more committed tonight. He’s just better technically.
Kent and Billy, then Twitch
Chuck Maldonado / Stepping
Rehearsal: Stepping is body percussion. It’s like a marching band without the instruments. The hardest part is the coordination.
Pro Nails (Rusko Remix) / Kid Sister
Performance: I’m surprised Kent looks so good. Twitch is amazing. I would have liked Kent to get more down into it but it was a very good effort. The faces were a bit much but more appropriate here.
Judge’s critiques:
Adam wants to thank the producers of the show for introducing over and over again new and exciting dance styles. Thanks to Chuck for coming in and throwing it down. Thanks to Kent for kicking its ass. Amazing. Mia had no idea Kent has that in him. It’s disgusting and filthy and gross and amazing. She lives for them. Kent and Twitch’s chemistry together is sick. Mia now says Kent’s the one to beat. Kenny tells Kent he pulled it off. Nigel wants to remind everyone that this isn’t the first time we’ve had stepping on the show. Nigel loves stepping. Kent has combated everything that’s been thrown at him. He wants to see Kent krump next.
Further comment: I’m still kind of shocked that Kent didn’t embarrass himself. I thought his facial contortions were appropriate here and I feel like he really “stepped” up. I’m sorry. I had to.
I’m still disappointed that we didn’t see Billy dance tonight but I was impressed by almost all of the dancing. If I had to choose the bottom three I might put Jose in there three times. Harsh, I know, but he’s just not improving enough for me. But back to reality, back to life. I hope Jose joins Billy in the bottoms. And If I had to guess who else might end up there I would say it’s Robert. I think he was so strong tonight but I’m still not sure America loves him as much as I do. I think Kent is safe no matter what and Adechike’s hip-hop routine should keep him out of trouble.
Who would you like to see go home this week?
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