And cue music
Posted: Thursday, July 23, 2009 by Travis Cody inWelcome to
Cat update...it's LEGSES and a stunning dress!
We've got a foursome at the judging table tonight with Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy joined by Mia Michaels and Ellen DeGeneres. Yes, that Ellen DeGeneres. And tonight it's a top 8 group number, solos from all 8, and 2 routines from each new pair.
We begin with the group number for our Top 8, choreographed by Travis Wall. Travis said it was supposed to be a huge banana extravaganza. I don't know what that means, but I enjoyed the number. It had power and punch.
There's a little preview of the 100th episode, which airs tonight. We'll see the Emmy winning dances from past seasons, plus a dance from Katie Holmes. I can't wait!
OK, let's get to the rest of the dancing.
Janette, 25 year old Salsa dancer, is paired with Evan, 22 year old Broadway dancer, for Jazz choreographed by Sonja Tayeh. The theme is shut up. The choreography was weird, which I've sort of come to expect from Sonja. I would have preferred Jazz choreography closer to Evan's style, although he seemed reasonably comfortable with the movement. I must say they danced what they were given pretty well. Janette is a spitfire and looks good dancing in just about any style. And Evan is often under-rated as a partner, but in this piece he was solid. I liked the piece.
Kayla's solo emphasized the control she has over her body. She combines athleticism with unusual movement, and it almost always works. She has learned how to put the movements together and keep everything connected without going frantic.
Jeanine, 18 year old Contemporary dancer, is paired with Brandon, 19 year old Contemporary dancer, for Waltz from Hunter Johnson. Lifts did not appear to go well in rehearsal. Jeanine was beautiful, and both of their non-Waltz work was well done. But as a Waltz, which it was supposed to be, I thought the dance was rough and somewhat disconnected. There was no rise and fall and they did not glide through the dance. The choreography wasn't really traditional Waltz, and it was difficult, which wasn't their fault. But I didn't see the extended lines that I've gotten used to from these two dancers. They also didn't seem to have complete control of the performance. There was no fairy tale. For the first time, they looked young and inexperienced, and unable to pull off the style. I didn't like this much.
Jason's solo was lacking something for me. He seemed to be trying to pack too much in, and so didn't appear to finish anything off. It didn't look choreographed.
Melissa, 29 year old Ballet dancer, is paired with Ade, 20 year old Contemporary dancer, for Cha Cha Cha choreographed by Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin. There should be no issue with chemistry between these two, since they were together in the Top 20. They did a bit better than I expected. This is so far outside anything comfortable for them. There were elements that they performed well. But really the best I can say is that they got through it. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't the best effort from either of them. Oddly enough, with their history together as partners, I didn't really feel anything sexy in that dance between them. Nor did I really see anything cheeky in it, and Cha Cha Cha is cheeky above all. I did not like this.
Janette's solo brought more than just Salsa movement. She didn't actually dance her Salsa style. And what she did was terrific. I like her a lot.
Kayla, 18 year old Jazz/Contemporary dancer, is paired with Jason, 21 year old Lyrical/Contemporary dancer, for Broadway choreographed by Tyce Diorio. This is quite the jazzy number. I LOVE Kayla in this. Her lines and extensions were exquisite. She proved she can be a star. Sorry Jason...I didn't even notice you. That dance belonged to Kayla. She mesmerized me. I'll have to watch it back to get any idea about Jason. As Mia said, if Kayla can sing and act, the sky is the limit for this girl. She is that good. I'll say I liked the piece, based on Kayla's performance.
Ade's solo was much more suited to the music this week. His leaps are his strongest point, but I will say that I'm over the back flip. It's a signature move from him and I get that he's comfortable with it. But after the first wow moment, it's just there.
Janette and Evan return with Rumba choreographed by Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin. This could be a disaster. I'm not worried about Janette. But if she and Tony and Melanie can't get Evan to roll his hips in the proper sexy way, then he just doesn't have it in him. OK, once again Evan shows what a strong partner he can be. And he did have the hip rolls working. He actually did a good job in this, except for a bobble or two with footwork. Janette was mega watt HAWT. This style was so suited to her, and yet she did not dance beyond Evan. This actually was a pretty good dance. It was smooth and sensual. It wasn't my favorite, but I liked it.
Melissa's solo stepped slightly away from strict ballet, but it left me a bit cold. I've drawn steadily away from her throughout the show. I can't explain it, but as much as I respect her ballet talent, she's just not a favorite.
Jeanine and Brandon return with Pop/Jazz choreographed by LaurieAnn Gibson. I like both of these dancers and I thought they each danced well in this piece. I didn't care for the routine, but each of them brought emotion and power to the dancing. I can't review the dance though. Let's just say that these are two of my favorite dancers and I didn't enjoy their work this evening as a matter of personal taste.
Evan's solo once again demonstrated that he can tell a story in dance in 30 seconds. Nigel suggested after the Rumba that Evan didn't perform with his face. Uhm...pppppppffffffffttttttttt! Evan is all about entertaining with his expressions. Just watch his solo work. And make no mistake, Evan is an excellent solo artist.
Jeanine's solo expressed the music very well. I'm not sure I liked it and I think she had kind of an off night. Just my opinion.
Melissa and Ade return with Contemporary choreographed by Tyce Diorio. This is supposed to be an emotional piece, telling the story of a woman with breast cancer. The dancing was very good, most particularly the lifts. But I'm going to express what is likely to be an unpopular position with respect to the entire dance. If the rehearsal footage had not explained what the dance was about, I would have felt no emotional connection to the piece. The dance was lovely and well performed. But it was not emotional...even if you understand how much I hate cancer. This dance did not affect me, and it was not memorable. To me, the dance did not portray the struggle with cancer without telling us it was about cancer. I'm indifferent to this piece.
Brandon's solo proved again how well he can leap and spin. Didn't focus much on dancing, but he went with his strengths. He's only performed two solos since making Top 20, but I'm still waiting to see the emotion and passion in his solo work that he showed in that first audition.
Kayla and Jason return with Hip Hop choreographed by Shane Sparks. I haven't really been impressed with the quality of the hip hop this season. They both seemed to minimize the street element out of this piece and cover it with more contemporary movements. I think they danced well, but I was distracted a little bit by the costumes and make up...which of course isn't the dancers' fault. I'll say I enjoyed it. It was fun and entertaining.
Ellen cracked me up throughout the night. She was a pleasant counter to Nigel, who seemed to have the cranky pants on just a little too tight.
Of course, you'll have guessed that my votes went to Evan. I'm locked in until he either gets eliminated or wins the show.
Pam is still undecided, and Kayla's strong performance in the Broadway piece muddied the waters even further. Pam is definitely leaning toward the gals. She split votes tonight between Jeanine, Janette, and Kayla.
Tune in tonight for the 100th episode!
I did not see the rehearsal clips, so I couldn't figure out why everyone was crying after the Ade/Melissa piece. It was a lovely number, but you're right, I had NO idea that it was about breast cancer until the judges mentioned it.
Kayla looked like a Broadway star in that piece. Her hair, make-up, costume...it as all perfect. It is no wonder that you forgot to watch Jason.
So, who's going home? I don't think Melissa has the fan base to move on and I don't think Jason has the talent of the other guys, so those are my two candidates for elimination. Maybe they decide NOT to put a damper on the 100th show festivities by making everyone safe this week.