'So You Think You can Dance' recap: Top 14 perform
Tonight's So You Think You Can Dance kicks off with childhood pictures of the judges -- "in the interest of fairness" -- because we're going to see childhood videos of the contestants tonight. Fun! Embarrassing, but fun!
The first couple of the night is Ashleigh and Jakob with a hip-hop routine by Tabitha and Napoleon. In the story of the dance, they're a couple and she's discovered that he cheated. I'm not always a fan of T&N's routines, but Ashleigh and Jakob perform it really well, including the acting part. The only thing I hate is Ashleigh's pants. Nigel Lythgoe says he loved their "gimmick," adding that Jakob is stepping up to choreographic challenges every single week and that he will make it to the Top 10. He says he originally thought Ashleigh had the potential for growth and would ride Jakob's coattails into the Top 10, but that she has grown far beyond his expectations. Mary Murphy says she was spellbound Ashleigh's passion was and that Jakob was totally on point. Adam Shankman Jakob is the biggest shoo-in for the Top 10 they've ever had. He also says he was one of the people who didn't believe in Ashleigh and that now he's a believer.
Karen and Kevin are doing Broadway with Spencer Liff. In rehearsal, they talk about how this routine is so difficult and complex and what trouble they're having with it. Liff interviews that he frankly thought it was going to be a cakewalk, and he was wrong. The performance is OK, but with all that buildup about how hard it was, it seems somewhat subdued. Still entertaining, though. Nigel welcomes Spencer to the show. He says it was a style that required humor in their performance. He says this was the first time she wasn't supposed to be sexual, and she didn't bring that humor or personality to it in that place. Yet, Nigel thinks Kevin brought even less to the stage, character-wise. Mary agrees that it needed to be so much more. "The whole thing seemed nice, and safe," she says. Adam says it was a challenging blend of movements and that it was amazing to watch Kevin get through it so well. He adds that he liked seeing Karen having to perform without being in "tigress" mode. He says it was a bump, but they are great.
Russell and Noelle are working with Eddie Simon on a second foxtrot, only this time, Noelle gets to perform it (she was injured last week, if you've lost track). Their dance is somehow smooth and groovy, and they're engaging with the audience more, too. Nigel says this was a whole new foxtrotting Russell, so much better than week one. He says Russell is a star and never ceases to amaze him. To Noelle, he says that she fights to get out of Russell's shadow, and she's getting there. Mary says Russell is so far outside his style, but he didn't look worried at all. She goes on to praise Noelle's technique and movement, saying how proud she is of them. Adam says the performance was exuding joy and confidence. He says it was fantastic and he loves them.
Channing and Victor are doing jazz with Tyce DiOrio, portraying blackbirds coming out to play. Tyce keeps giggling devilishly in the interview segment. It's cool and fun and weird, but there is a part in the middle that seems kind of ... normal, whereas in the rest, they are clearly portraying birds. It's like they break character, except that it seems like a problem in the routine, not in them. Nigel says this is the first time it looked like Channing enjoyed her performance, and thus he enjoyed it more. He says Victor hasn't shown as much growth as some of the other guys, saying he needs to keep pushing himself. Mary found it playful and quirky and she loved it. Adam says Channing is finding her way into the show, at last. He adds that the music alienated him a bit from the performance, but he got into it. He and Mary both agree with Nigel on the idea that Victor needs to continue to raise his performance level.
Kathryn and Legacy work with Tony Meredith on the paso doble. They bring passion and power to their characters on the stage, but I can't speak to their technique. As a regular old viewer, I'm pretty impressed overall, though they have a bit of strangeness with their last lift and the final move. Nigel says Kathryn is much improved from last week's juvenile performance, adding that she was absolutely magnificent. He says Legacy is always practicing, even in the hallway. He says that hunger, passion and need for knowledge is going to push him into the Top 10. Mary says Kathryn played it just right and that Legacy is "just crazy again this week." She's particularly impressed with his character and his growth. Adam says Kathryn killed it (in a good way) and Legacy is crushing the competition.
We get an update on the Dizzy Feet Foundation in the meantime.
Ellenore and Ryan are working with Travis Wall (WOOT!) on a contemporary routine. First off, Travis is amazing -- three seconds into this routine, and I'm riveted. And these two are great in this -- Ryan annoys me some, but his brute strength is helpful, and Ellenore brings a lot of character and personality, too. Nigel says there is a lot of luck -- that last week, they had an awful routine (sorry to the choreographer) and this week, they so lucked into having Travis. He says they also benefited from Ryan's hours in the gym -- that the lifts didn't show the preparation. He also says that Ellenore is "the sharpest tool in the box" according to the choreographers. He means tool in a good way. Mary says Ellenore is having star quality moments, for her beauty and her technique and her ability to get into the characters. She says that Ryan is an inspiration to ballroom kids who are afraid to get off the circuit and try something new. She gets so emotional she can barely speak. Adam says SYTYCD has just kicked in with the combination of Ellenore, Ryan and Travis.
The last couple of the night is Mollee and Nathan, and they better be good, following that last routine. They are doing pop-jazz with LaurieAnn Gibson. It's good, entertaining, fun. But it's just not at the same emotional level as the previous performance, and I think they suffer from that. Nigel says they dug much deeper this week than during last week's salsa, and adds that Mollee has the potential to be a great professional. He adds that Nathan is extremely talented, but that he needs to show growth because he has the potential to be one of the best dancers they have ever had on this show. Mary says it's good to have the dream team back again after scaring them half to death last week. Adam says he's with the other two on the props, but he wants to talk strategy. He tells Nathan that seeing him say in the interview about how he always got whatever he wanted was bad because this won't come easy to them. He wants the choreographers to push them to engage the audience more.
What did you think about the night's performances? There were some great moments from just about everyone, but I think it's pretty obvious that Karen and Kevin will be in trouble.
Categories: So You Think You Can Dance
