The Winner
Russell is your favorite dancer, America. You done good. Kittens, color me satisfied. FP and her man had their Jive-y moment and then went out 5-6 like good little cannon fodder. And the top 4 were lovely and amazing and from elimination to elimination, I was in agony and not knowing which ones I wanted to go home and which ones I wanted to move on. Ellenore out fourth? No! It’s unpossible. But if not there, then who? Kathryn? She’s too gorgeous. And she went out third anyway. (Cheeky camera monkeys with the cut to Legacy. I’m not buying what you’re selling, but good on ya for trying) And then the truly impossible choice. Jakob or Russell? Russell or Jakob? Forget Solomon, this was the true “split the baby in two” moment, darlings. And just standing there, couldn’t you tell by Jakob’s expression that he knew that he wouldn’t be winning the title of America’s Favorite Dancer? Because he knows what all of us students of the show know. The best technical dancer never wins. They never have won and, kiddies, I’m beginning to believe that they never will win. Because if not this year, then when? If not the divine Jakob Karr, then who? Young, gorgeous, kinda goofy, fun personality, able to do things with his body that leave you breathless, never took a false turn across the entire season. And he still couldn’t beat out the scrappy, up from the street (MY ASS!) feel good story. (On that note, kiddies, Russell is not a diamond in the rough. Nigel and his unexamined biases and his bullshit street dancer blind spots are on my last nerve) So let’s hear it for Russell. Until the moment Cat knelt down on the floor (Diva!) and coaxed an interview out of a sobbing and incoherent, shirtless man, I hadn’t realized how much I was secretly rooting for him to win. Kittens, Russell is love. And the cute parents. And the girlfriend with the 70’s black power ‘fro. And the Kevin man-love. Bless!
The Music
There were musical performances. Two of the people could actually sing and two of them could not. I refuse with the singing, but let me just state that Leona Lewis and her bad fashion sense and her unfortunate man face and her pitchy singing and horrendous song choice need to go somewhere and sit down. She is not now nor has she ever been Mimi. British people, no. Stop trying to make Leona Lewis happen. She’s not going to happen. One hit wonder, darlings, and I credit that mainly to Mark and Chelsie. Mary J. looked fierce rocking the short blonde hair and the strapless cocktail dress. And Adam Lambert. Oh, my stars and garters, kittens! Adam Lambert. He is a glitter bomb boy/girl alien sex god. The eyeliner, the black nail polish, the gelled hair, the skinny suit and tie with the balled up black pantyhose sewed onto one shoulder. And was he wearing spats, y’all? Work! Wouldn’t he and Jakob make the sparkliest, most extravagantly talented, most gorgeous couple ever? How can we make that happen?
The Dancing
I understood most of the judges picks, even if I myself wouldn’t have chosen them. Nigel threw in one head scratcher although I understood it coming from him. And honestly, kiddies, I was just so glad to see Lil C and Miss Debbie Allen (and her weave) up there on that judges panel, well, it was kind of perfect. They even made me accept Tasty, which just goes to show how much I missed the guest judges this season. I will not recap the dances because we’ve seen them before, literally for all of the Russell-centric dances save the first one. Let’s do the Top 20 group dance, though, just for the good times.
Top 20 Group Dance/Jazz/Kelley Abbey (Scared of Me/Feddy Le Grand) – Noodles, I disapprove of bringing in a brand new choreographer for the finale group dance. Not that I didn’t like this new girl, she of the two first names. It’s just that the finale night is a celebration of family, the family that has grown up amongst the dancers and the judges and the viewers of the show over the course of the season. And I don’t want some outsider, no matter how cute or talented, busting up into my family reunion. Also, they’ve had some great new choreographers this season as well as some iconic dances from their core stable of choreographers (NappyTab excluded). Especially on the jazz/contemporary side of the spectrum. Showcase the folks who’ve worked hard for you and your dancers all season and save Ms. Abbey for next season. All that said, it was a good dance, darlings. The top four were appropriately featured and turning it out. Jakob had on almost as much eye make up as Adam (We've already covered that) and was fierce. And the top 20 reminded me that this was perhaps the most extravagantly talented, completely likeable group of dancers we’ve had on the show ever. And the hos and trannys stayed on the wagon for the evening, so well done, y’all. Kudos all around.
The Groovaloos were a nice touch. Appropriately fun and old school. And the b-boys were fire. The poppers left a little something to be desired. I’ve seen better on SYTYCD. Overall enjoyable, but paled in comparison to the high bar set by LXD. Hip hop guest troops have a lot to live up to after that.
JLo/Louboutins – Because it sure as hell wasn’t a vocal performance, kittens. Family, you know it’s serious when she can’t even lip synch on key. That used to only be true for AI group sings. Whatever you think about her song stylings, the bitch can dance. She was kind of turning it out with her big old bedazzled booty. And we must give props to her for incorporating the SYTYCD girls into her performance, no? Never forget your Fly Girl roots, JLo. Perhaps one day these young girls can be man stealing homewreckers married to ghoulish man trolls with mansions in New Jersey and twins who look nothing like either them or their husbands.
Lil C’s Picks
The Kevin/Legacy/Russell Top 20 reveal show group dance made sense for him. Was it the best hip hop of the season? Hardly. But you know he wishes he could’ve gotten his hands on at least one of those boys to set a piece on them. What’s up with that, Simon Fuller? Honestly. When will you ever have a krumper as good as Russell again on the show? A b-boy as versatile and charismatic as Legacy? Exactly. So I see why he chose the way he did. I loved his second pick. That Jakob/Arianna/Channing/Nathan Top 20 number was magical. And it gave us such fantastic bits of Lil C babble. “Dance through every portal of their being.” “An orgy of majestic contemporary artistry.” Oh, Lil C. Don’t ever change. If anything, I think these four might’ve danced this even better than the first time. Arianna as first off the show was really a mistake, darlings, and it would lead us eventually to the FP Pity-a-thon and nobody wanted that, did they? Overall, solid picks by Lil C. He was missed this season.
Shankdaddy’s Picks
Oh, I’ll love him forever for picking that Jakob/Ellenore Sonya piece. This is what he should be pimping for an Emmy, kittens. So much gorgeous work by these two in this dance. I’ve been mulling it since the first time I saw it and I think it is the best piece Sonya’s done on this show. Even better than the Mark/Courtney Secret Garden routine, and you know how it pains me to put anyone above my beautiful boy from Hawai’i. But this was perfect marriage of music and movement and choreographer’s vision with dancers’ abilities and . . . it was perfection. And the second piece, hee! Shankdaddy loves Ellenore. We do, too, Adam! And that’s why we’ll always love you. Legacy and Ellenore are so committed in this dance. It’s not my favorite Travis Wall piece and the supersize executive table has been done before, and better, by Mandy, no? But this was a demanding, athletic number that showed both Ellenore and Legacy off to great advantage. Legacy’s flip over the table is still quite a move. Yes, Shankdaddy gets two thumbs up for his picks.
Nigel’s Picks
Well, one out of three ain’t bad, kiddies. Look, I dislike choosing routines from the finale for the results show recap. No matter how dynamic, we just saw it last night. We really, really don’t need to see it again. However, if we had to have a repeat, I guess this Kathryn/Jakob piece is as worthy as you’re going to find. And when you get the opportunity to showcase Desmond and Dwight to a national audience, you do it. So yay, Desmond and Dwight! If you live in NYC, go see Complexions, because they are awesome. And Dwight and Desmond, offer that fool Jakob a spot in your company already. I won’t quibble at all with choosing Wades Top 20 opening night group routine because it was fire and proved a phenomenal showcase for the kids. Well, I’ll quibble about the show continuing to give choreographer credits to Amanda Robson despite the fact that we’ve never seen the bitch dance or choreograph a step. Just because you are a muse, that does not make you a choreographer. Just no. But about the choice of routine, noodles, I’m all about it. This one, I would’ve liked to see danced again live and it’s a shame that so many quality dancers missed out on another shot to strut their stuff live for the studio audience because of Russell’s untimely accident. The Bianca/Peter/Philip tap routine from Top 20 night was a misstep, primarily because Peter and Philip are much better tappers than Bianca is and it shows here. She’s totally exposed as only a middling tapper. They are gorgeous in the piece though. And I guess picking it finally did force Nigel and the show to acknowledge that they have, in fact, had a tapper in the top 20 before and to just generally recognize the existence of S1, so it did some good to have it on my TV screen last night.
Mary’s Picks
I can’t hate on Mary for picking an original ballroom number for Ryan and the Fug Princess because seriously. That shit last night wasn’t right. And they turned it out, kiddies. One of the best jives I’ve seen on this show. I am seeing DWTS in Ryan’s future if he wants it. Sadly, I think FP may be just a little bit too fugly for the show, but she can make a lot of money teaching and choreographing. I am glad to see the end of the DiLello pimping. They grew on me like a fungus, but they really shouldn’t have gotten as far as they did on the show. When I think that we could’ve had Paula Van Oppen rather than FP? I weep, noodles! I weep. The Russell/Kathryn hip hop as a pick was so unworthy and can I just say that it’s no wonder that Russell came up lame last night. Look at the sheer number of dances he was slated to do last night. They were fixing to wear him out, kittens. Poor lamb.
Tasty’s Picks
It’s wrong that Miss Debbie Allen had to split her picks with this fool. And then he went and wasted his pick on the Tween Terrors. Bitch, please. Look, this was their one good routine amongst a sea of crap and I will give it to them that they did tear it up including the fact that Nathan fell and busted his ass worse than JLo on the AMAs and he turned that shit into a roll and kept it moving which is the mark of a true pro and he was serving it. Still, on finale night? Might as well have picked his tired little Can Can. Wasted space.
Miss Debbie Allen’s Picks
Of course, Miss Allen picked a winner. You know she loves her some Russell, don’t you? She was like a proud Mama Bear, kittens and I just loved it. Sadly, we didn’t get to see the man himself perform this Russell/Noelle African Jazz again, but that was an excellent, excellent pick by the diva. I truly hope Cheesman and his mysteriously missing “e” come back in S7 because this routine was fire.
The Aftermath
I’m spent, darlings. And I barely have a few weeks to get back in fighting trim for Idol. Fox needs to never, ever, ever do a fall season of SYTYCD ever again. I love this show. I loved these kids. Pound for pound, this may have been one of the best casts ever. But to everything there is a season, no? And fall damn sure ain’t it when it comes to SYTYCD. Keep it a summer trifle. Give us a season to lie fallow. And we will bear sweet fruit come AI harvest time and revel in the SYTYCD fields of gold all summer. That’s a little bit of poetry for your ass to close things out. Don’t say I never gave you anything, kiddies.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
SYTYCD S6 Finale Performance Show Good ‘til the Last Drop
Kittens, I’m so tired. I’ve been up since 5:00 am. And yet, I toil and slave to get this recap up in prep for Wednesday’s finale. All for you, darlings. All for you. There’s no formatting and little editing to this here blog post because, well, 5:00 am, y’all! Maybe later. And we’re going in reverse order because why not? I wanted to own Cat’s dress in several shades including that smashing red, so you knew they were going to be sick with it, right? Take it away, Top 6.
Russell/Kathryn/Hip Hop/NappyTab (I Can Transform Ya/Chris Brown) – I cannot believe that NappyTab used a song by the woman beater. They disappoint on so many levels. The dance was a distant second in the NappyTab hard hitting hip hop catalog behind Mark/Comfort (best NappyTab EVER!). If they wanted Russell to krump, why in the world didn’t they bring back Lil C? Honestly. Russell did what he could with it. He was great because he’s great, but the choreography and, I’m sorry but I must say it, Kathryn let him down. She tried her little heart out but she can’t krump. It wasn’t not good, Noodles. (Oh, Real World Tammy. How I miss you so)
Ashleigh/Ryan/Contemporary/Travis Wall (I’m There Too/Missed the artist) – Kittens, let’s deal with first things first. I can’t believe they wasted a chance to have the married latin ballroom couple come on and finally, finally, show these fools how latin ballroom is done. And on a night where they had Jason Gilickson, too. Oh, the dance-manity! There. That’s done. Quiet as it’s kept, kiddies, FP has torn this season up. Don’t get me wrong, I still hate that the fugly one made the final after not dancing a step last week, but she once again served tonight. Never moreso than here. She and Ryan did have a lovely connection. A quiet comfort with each other and an emotional depth that was lovely to see. Was that the most technically demanding dance of the night? No. But dammit, I love me some Travis Wall. He knew his dancers and what they could deliver and he worked that routine for all it was worth. And he did push them for being two ballroom kids. There was some gorgeous work in there. The lifts were always going to be good because Ryan . . . best partner dancer ever on the show . . . blasé, blasé, whatever. But darlings, blessed assurance to see a lady who knows how to engage her core and help out her partner through a lift. Whippersnappers, take note. That is how it’s done. The lifts looked effortless. And they had some lovely side by side moments, a couple pretty leaps. Very good movement quality and they both were very grounded in their movement. Travis Frikkin’ Wall, family! For a moment, he made me stop hating and get right with the DiLellos.
Kathryn/Jakob/Contemporary/Desmond Richardson and Dwight Rhoden (At this Moment/Michael Buble) – Bow down, bitches. The kings have just schooled you all. That choreography was gorgeous. Exquisite. So intricate. So much control required. And many interesting movements even during the transitions and in the connections between the real powerhouse, showpiece moves. And Jakob Karr. Kittens. Jakob Karr is a motherfucking rock star. He was born to dance. That’s all. There is really nothing he can’t do along the ballet/modern spectrum of the dance world, I don’t think. One of the best to ever dance on this show, in the pantheon with Blake, Danny and Will. (Brandon just a step behind this trio due to a certain lack of polish, which I think will come with time) I was blown away, too, by his partnering in this piece. Very solid. Very strong. Kathryn. Well, you know I love her, noodles. I do! And she had lovely moments in this piece. She demonstrated great flexibility. Good musicality. And her legs are a wonder. But . . . I have to throw a but up in there. Her dancing was a little bit light. Desmond and Dwight are straight out of that Ailey cum Graham technique and that is deeply centered and grounded in a way that requires so much core strength. Contrast Kathryn with Ellenore. Both lovely dancers in completely different ways. Ellenore’s movement is based around and flows from that engaged and solid core which allows for that patented “quirky” movement. You watch her and you think “strong”. A dance warrior, just as I labeled her last week. Kathryn’s movement is much more pulled up, as befits someone with more of a ballet background (which I’m guessing she has – most lyrical/contempo kids do). The word that comes to mind watching her is more like “ethereal”. And the piece required more strength. Not so light. She was lovely here. Lovely. It just didn’t wholly get there for me from her. And now I must stop talking because that last sentence sounded like the Dawg.
Ellenore/Russell/Paso Doble/Jason Gilickson (Village Attack/Blood Diamond Soundtrack) – Shirtless Russell blew my whole entire mind, darlings. That man’s back did things to my loins which are not discussed in polite company. And that ass in those pants was out of control. Sweet mother of god! I’m sorry, kittens, but I could barely even focus on the dancing. I think it was fine. Maybe? The carriage was right from both of them. Russell had good snap in his legs. The feet seemed a bit sloppy in places. But he was a commanding lead. He really did those lifts amazingly well. Oh yeah, Ellenore was there, too. I’m sure she looked fierce and danced well. I might have once thought that the little leap and then the wrapping the legs around the waist was a dynamite element of this routine. But mostly what I was thinking was that I wished those were my legs wrapped around that man’s waist. So, yeah. This dance was not about the dance is what I’m saying. Shirtless Russell Paso added onto the previous Shirtless Legacy Paso? SYTYCD likes me. It really, really likes me.
Ashleigh/Jakob/Foxtrot/Jean Marc – (Let the Good Times Roll/Butch somebody & Eva Cassidy) – It was cute and well danced. I wanted more refinement from the Fug Princess here. I went all the way back to one of her first smooth ballrooms, when one of the judges told her about needing more softness in her hands (too latin). That continued to be true. I also wanted more roundness in her frame. And really, I have to compare this Foxtrot to the Anya/Danny piece and, well, there is no comparison. I wanted more closed hold work. Jakob was fine. He’s really improved as a ballroom lead. But he really is kind of just too special to play the traditional male ballroom role, which is to frame and showcase the lady. He’s kind of like Cassie in A Chorus Line. So the leaps and the turns and the whole Jakob-ness worked because it always worked, but also didn’t work because the man’s role in ballroom is all about making you watch the woman and when he dances you can’t do other but watch him. They looked gorgeous, though. Snaps, tranny/hos.
Ellenore/Ryan/Jazz/Gary Stewart (Kontakt Me/Boys Noize) – See, noodles? See what I mean about Ellenore dancing more from her core and her movement quality being more grounded and more down into the floor? That routine made me glad that Gary Stewart stuck around after he and I had such a tough time with his first piece. Because that? I loved. Ellenore was riveting. She is so strong and so solid. Her movement is, dare I say it, very organic. We miss you, Mia!! I confess that I barely watched Ryan at all here, which is actually a good thing because that means that he held his own and didn’t distract from the overall quality of the piece. But this dance, for me, was the Ellenore show. She is a dance phenomenon, darlings. Trust that this is so. Wonderful, wonderful!
Ashleigh/Russell/Lyrical Jazz/Sonya (Angel Standing By/Jewel) – Beautiful, kittens. Gorgeous. Look at that fool's toe point and tell me that he has not had extensive training beyond Krump 101. I defy you. Check the traveling steps in deep plie in second. Check some of those leaps and spins. Just look at the arms, the posture. You can’t do that kind of work just by magic and wishing on your lucky street knowledge star. The bitch is trained. Can we now finally, finally put that madness to rest? And the Fug Princess was there doing her best early season Jakob’s shadow impression. Which is not a bad thing. She really is better than she has any right to be. But she disappeared from this dance almost completely, much as she did early in the season in her pieces with the talented Mr. Karr. Russell ruled that dance. He’s so, so serious, family. Please recognize. And that was a fabulous and unexpected piece from Sonya. She clearly got some of her normal, quirky moves in there, but her work is usually not in that tender, emotional, almost lyrical/contemporary vein. I loved seeing her stretch like that.
Ellenore/Jakob/Broadway/Tasty (I Gotcha/Fosse Original Broadway Cast Recording) – Tyce Broadway in the finale? And for these two? Really, Nigel? Really? And he’s just given up all pretense that he ever does anything other than copy Fosse now, hasn’t he? Well, own it, Tasty, I guess. He’s just lucky that these two bitches serve it every single time. Damn. They are so good. They are beyond good. Ellenore’s extensions rivaled Jakob in this piece and that is something which I did not even consider possible. Of course, thanks to Tasty’s unfortunate boy crush, the whole routine was really a paen to Jakob. There couldn’t have been even one more leap in that routine, could there darlings? And talk about bringing the Joel Grey! And then some. These two were sassy. And they brought the dirty, dirty vibe that’s so often missing from Faux Fosse on this show. They looked like sex and raunch and strippers in some upstate NY second class joint with pasties dangling. And the crack whores in wardrobe and trannys in hair and make up were on point again. What? The look was perfect, kittens. Just perfect. They could’ve been in the Broadway cast of Fosse and not looked out of place. That’s how good it was. If Tasty must do faux Fosse, let it always be thus please?
Kahryn/Ryan/Samba/Jason Gilikson (Magalhena/Sergio Mendes) – Ryan DiLello. Work! He was fire in that piece. So, so sexy. Holy smokes, noodles. I so wanted to see him dance that with Ashleigh. Kathryn was fine for a non-ballroom girl. And that was the problem, no? For all that the routine was smoking, it lacked some ballroom content. Not a lot of closed hold work. Not a samba roll in sight. As Ms. Debbie Allen once said, give it to me hard. Give it to me rough. This is the finals, no? I want to see greatness. With Kathryn here rather than, you know, the actual latin ballroom specialist they forced into the finals on pity and a prayer, the routine just gave goodness. Well, Ryan gave greatness. That man’s hips were moving just like mama likes it. And sincerely, crack hos, thank you for all the shirtlessness. Indeed. And what an ending! Jason G, you have brought it like it should be broughten this season. Hail and well met, sir. But it was a touch shy of mind blowing.
And the Winner Is . . .
Kittens, it sounds like I didn’t enjoy Kathryn tonight which could not be further from the truth. I enjoyed her and think she is a beautiful dancer. But of the four (because I do not consider the DiLellos serious contenders for the win), she’s in my #4 slot. She wasn’t shown off to her best advantage tonight. Coming third for me would be Ellenore. She had one two great routines, but she disappeared for me in that Paso, swallowed whole by the charisma and overall hotness of Russell. And between Russell and Jakob? Noodles, I couldn’t. Could you? Can’t we just have co-winners? If I had a gun to my head, I suppose I’d choose Jakob because, well, born to dance, no? But kittens, it’s much like last seasons Kris/Adam, Honey Dip/Glitter bomb Sex Baby, AI finale. If either one of them wins, I win. Well done, oddly truncated and overly rushed show.
PS: The fact that the bloated top 6 show robbed us of a top 2 boys’ dance and a top 2 girls’ dance from the Ellenore/Kathryn/Jakob/Russell quartet is a travesty. Fuck you Fox and Simon Fuller and the horse you rode in on. I don’t need a bloated two hour results show. I needed two hours for the performance show, which is true even when we are dealing with just 4 and even more so with 6. Bitches.
Russell/Kathryn/Hip Hop/NappyTab (I Can Transform Ya/Chris Brown) – I cannot believe that NappyTab used a song by the woman beater. They disappoint on so many levels. The dance was a distant second in the NappyTab hard hitting hip hop catalog behind Mark/Comfort (best NappyTab EVER!). If they wanted Russell to krump, why in the world didn’t they bring back Lil C? Honestly. Russell did what he could with it. He was great because he’s great, but the choreography and, I’m sorry but I must say it, Kathryn let him down. She tried her little heart out but she can’t krump. It wasn’t not good, Noodles. (Oh, Real World Tammy. How I miss you so)
Ashleigh/Ryan/Contemporary/Travis Wall (I’m There Too/Missed the artist) – Kittens, let’s deal with first things first. I can’t believe they wasted a chance to have the married latin ballroom couple come on and finally, finally, show these fools how latin ballroom is done. And on a night where they had Jason Gilickson, too. Oh, the dance-manity! There. That’s done. Quiet as it’s kept, kiddies, FP has torn this season up. Don’t get me wrong, I still hate that the fugly one made the final after not dancing a step last week, but she once again served tonight. Never moreso than here. She and Ryan did have a lovely connection. A quiet comfort with each other and an emotional depth that was lovely to see. Was that the most technically demanding dance of the night? No. But dammit, I love me some Travis Wall. He knew his dancers and what they could deliver and he worked that routine for all it was worth. And he did push them for being two ballroom kids. There was some gorgeous work in there. The lifts were always going to be good because Ryan . . . best partner dancer ever on the show . . . blasé, blasé, whatever. But darlings, blessed assurance to see a lady who knows how to engage her core and help out her partner through a lift. Whippersnappers, take note. That is how it’s done. The lifts looked effortless. And they had some lovely side by side moments, a couple pretty leaps. Very good movement quality and they both were very grounded in their movement. Travis Frikkin’ Wall, family! For a moment, he made me stop hating and get right with the DiLellos.
Kathryn/Jakob/Contemporary/Desmond Richardson and Dwight Rhoden (At this Moment/Michael Buble) – Bow down, bitches. The kings have just schooled you all. That choreography was gorgeous. Exquisite. So intricate. So much control required. And many interesting movements even during the transitions and in the connections between the real powerhouse, showpiece moves. And Jakob Karr. Kittens. Jakob Karr is a motherfucking rock star. He was born to dance. That’s all. There is really nothing he can’t do along the ballet/modern spectrum of the dance world, I don’t think. One of the best to ever dance on this show, in the pantheon with Blake, Danny and Will. (Brandon just a step behind this trio due to a certain lack of polish, which I think will come with time) I was blown away, too, by his partnering in this piece. Very solid. Very strong. Kathryn. Well, you know I love her, noodles. I do! And she had lovely moments in this piece. She demonstrated great flexibility. Good musicality. And her legs are a wonder. But . . . I have to throw a but up in there. Her dancing was a little bit light. Desmond and Dwight are straight out of that Ailey cum Graham technique and that is deeply centered and grounded in a way that requires so much core strength. Contrast Kathryn with Ellenore. Both lovely dancers in completely different ways. Ellenore’s movement is based around and flows from that engaged and solid core which allows for that patented “quirky” movement. You watch her and you think “strong”. A dance warrior, just as I labeled her last week. Kathryn’s movement is much more pulled up, as befits someone with more of a ballet background (which I’m guessing she has – most lyrical/contempo kids do). The word that comes to mind watching her is more like “ethereal”. And the piece required more strength. Not so light. She was lovely here. Lovely. It just didn’t wholly get there for me from her. And now I must stop talking because that last sentence sounded like the Dawg.
Ellenore/Russell/Paso Doble/Jason Gilickson (Village Attack/Blood Diamond Soundtrack) – Shirtless Russell blew my whole entire mind, darlings. That man’s back did things to my loins which are not discussed in polite company. And that ass in those pants was out of control. Sweet mother of god! I’m sorry, kittens, but I could barely even focus on the dancing. I think it was fine. Maybe? The carriage was right from both of them. Russell had good snap in his legs. The feet seemed a bit sloppy in places. But he was a commanding lead. He really did those lifts amazingly well. Oh yeah, Ellenore was there, too. I’m sure she looked fierce and danced well. I might have once thought that the little leap and then the wrapping the legs around the waist was a dynamite element of this routine. But mostly what I was thinking was that I wished those were my legs wrapped around that man’s waist. So, yeah. This dance was not about the dance is what I’m saying. Shirtless Russell Paso added onto the previous Shirtless Legacy Paso? SYTYCD likes me. It really, really likes me.
Ashleigh/Jakob/Foxtrot/Jean Marc – (Let the Good Times Roll/Butch somebody & Eva Cassidy) – It was cute and well danced. I wanted more refinement from the Fug Princess here. I went all the way back to one of her first smooth ballrooms, when one of the judges told her about needing more softness in her hands (too latin). That continued to be true. I also wanted more roundness in her frame. And really, I have to compare this Foxtrot to the Anya/Danny piece and, well, there is no comparison. I wanted more closed hold work. Jakob was fine. He’s really improved as a ballroom lead. But he really is kind of just too special to play the traditional male ballroom role, which is to frame and showcase the lady. He’s kind of like Cassie in A Chorus Line. So the leaps and the turns and the whole Jakob-ness worked because it always worked, but also didn’t work because the man’s role in ballroom is all about making you watch the woman and when he dances you can’t do other but watch him. They looked gorgeous, though. Snaps, tranny/hos.
Ellenore/Ryan/Jazz/Gary Stewart (Kontakt Me/Boys Noize) – See, noodles? See what I mean about Ellenore dancing more from her core and her movement quality being more grounded and more down into the floor? That routine made me glad that Gary Stewart stuck around after he and I had such a tough time with his first piece. Because that? I loved. Ellenore was riveting. She is so strong and so solid. Her movement is, dare I say it, very organic. We miss you, Mia!! I confess that I barely watched Ryan at all here, which is actually a good thing because that means that he held his own and didn’t distract from the overall quality of the piece. But this dance, for me, was the Ellenore show. She is a dance phenomenon, darlings. Trust that this is so. Wonderful, wonderful!
Ashleigh/Russell/Lyrical Jazz/Sonya (Angel Standing By/Jewel) – Beautiful, kittens. Gorgeous. Look at that fool's toe point and tell me that he has not had extensive training beyond Krump 101. I defy you. Check the traveling steps in deep plie in second. Check some of those leaps and spins. Just look at the arms, the posture. You can’t do that kind of work just by magic and wishing on your lucky street knowledge star. The bitch is trained. Can we now finally, finally put that madness to rest? And the Fug Princess was there doing her best early season Jakob’s shadow impression. Which is not a bad thing. She really is better than she has any right to be. But she disappeared from this dance almost completely, much as she did early in the season in her pieces with the talented Mr. Karr. Russell ruled that dance. He’s so, so serious, family. Please recognize. And that was a fabulous and unexpected piece from Sonya. She clearly got some of her normal, quirky moves in there, but her work is usually not in that tender, emotional, almost lyrical/contemporary vein. I loved seeing her stretch like that.
Ellenore/Jakob/Broadway/Tasty (I Gotcha/Fosse Original Broadway Cast Recording) – Tyce Broadway in the finale? And for these two? Really, Nigel? Really? And he’s just given up all pretense that he ever does anything other than copy Fosse now, hasn’t he? Well, own it, Tasty, I guess. He’s just lucky that these two bitches serve it every single time. Damn. They are so good. They are beyond good. Ellenore’s extensions rivaled Jakob in this piece and that is something which I did not even consider possible. Of course, thanks to Tasty’s unfortunate boy crush, the whole routine was really a paen to Jakob. There couldn’t have been even one more leap in that routine, could there darlings? And talk about bringing the Joel Grey! And then some. These two were sassy. And they brought the dirty, dirty vibe that’s so often missing from Faux Fosse on this show. They looked like sex and raunch and strippers in some upstate NY second class joint with pasties dangling. And the crack whores in wardrobe and trannys in hair and make up were on point again. What? The look was perfect, kittens. Just perfect. They could’ve been in the Broadway cast of Fosse and not looked out of place. That’s how good it was. If Tasty must do faux Fosse, let it always be thus please?
Kahryn/Ryan/Samba/Jason Gilikson (Magalhena/Sergio Mendes) – Ryan DiLello. Work! He was fire in that piece. So, so sexy. Holy smokes, noodles. I so wanted to see him dance that with Ashleigh. Kathryn was fine for a non-ballroom girl. And that was the problem, no? For all that the routine was smoking, it lacked some ballroom content. Not a lot of closed hold work. Not a samba roll in sight. As Ms. Debbie Allen once said, give it to me hard. Give it to me rough. This is the finals, no? I want to see greatness. With Kathryn here rather than, you know, the actual latin ballroom specialist they forced into the finals on pity and a prayer, the routine just gave goodness. Well, Ryan gave greatness. That man’s hips were moving just like mama likes it. And sincerely, crack hos, thank you for all the shirtlessness. Indeed. And what an ending! Jason G, you have brought it like it should be broughten this season. Hail and well met, sir. But it was a touch shy of mind blowing.
And the Winner Is . . .
Kittens, it sounds like I didn’t enjoy Kathryn tonight which could not be further from the truth. I enjoyed her and think she is a beautiful dancer. But of the four (because I do not consider the DiLellos serious contenders for the win), she’s in my #4 slot. She wasn’t shown off to her best advantage tonight. Coming third for me would be Ellenore. She had one two great routines, but she disappeared for me in that Paso, swallowed whole by the charisma and overall hotness of Russell. And between Russell and Jakob? Noodles, I couldn’t. Could you? Can’t we just have co-winners? If I had a gun to my head, I suppose I’d choose Jakob because, well, born to dance, no? But kittens, it’s much like last seasons Kris/Adam, Honey Dip/Glitter bomb Sex Baby, AI finale. If either one of them wins, I win. Well done, oddly truncated and overly rushed show.
PS: The fact that the bloated top 6 show robbed us of a top 2 boys’ dance and a top 2 girls’ dance from the Ellenore/Kathryn/Jakob/Russell quartet is a travesty. Fuck you Fox and Simon Fuller and the horse you rode in on. I don’t need a bloated two hour results show. I needed two hours for the performance show, which is true even when we are dealing with just 4 and even more so with 6. Bitches.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
SYTYCD S6 Finals Ep13 The Right Thing for the Wrong Reasons
It would seem that America still has the ability to surprise. Who knew, noodles? Of all the results that could have come out of this particular Top 8, I suppose I got the one that I wanted. But why does it feel so empty? Legacy broke my heart leaving, but I knew that would happen. The biggest shocker of the night was Mollee, the Tween Terror, pulling a few tears out of me and touching my blackened, shriveled heart with her utter devastation upon being tossed from the competition. And wasn’t she a brave little toaster, darlings? Sucking back those tears for all she was worth while her whole face and body were the perfect illustration of shattered. Look it up in the dictionary. You’ll find her picture staring dolefully back at you. It’s a hollow victory I share with you this morning, kittens. The taste of my foes' flesh is like ashes in my mouth. (Whoops, did I just go way overboard? I blame watching The Lord of the Rings cycle on TNT over the weekend. I’ll just repeat “I am not an orc. I am not an orc. I am not an orc” until I feel human again. There. All better now)
There’s not a lot to say about last night’s show. Shankdaddy is turning ever more horrible the longer he stays on the permanent judges’ panel. Please for the love of all that’s holy, let him get a movie to direct sometime soon so that he can be unavoidably out of pocket for the permanent gig next summer. If we must have a three judge panel, let Ms. Debbie Allen do it. Her voice (and weave) has been sorely missed this season. Cat let us know that auditions for S7 are picking right up again. No rest for the wicked and all that and family, I’m happy that the SYTYCD production team has a strong Puritan work ethic, but take a break already. For real. The seams are showing, show.
Kittens, you know I don’t recap musical performances on this show. I refuse. That’s what I always say. But the Honey Dip was there. Oooh, y’all, he’s still so, so pretty. Hotter than the sun is our Mr. Kris Allen. And see, this is not about the performance at all. The less said about that the better. Poor Honey Dip. I see now why he’s only sold about three copies of his debut album. But he’s still beautiful, though. He’ll always have his looks to fall back on. The other performance, if one can call it that, was just so bizarre. I can’t call it, kiddies. I’ma have to let the good writers from Glee handle it. As the lovely 5th runner up Miss Ohio 2002 said, ''They weren't singing, they were, like, honking, and everyone was crying, and I was like, 'Get off the stage, you're terrible. And you're making me super uncomfortable.''' Yes, well said 5th runner up who will always be Sarah Newlin to me and I miss you, True Blood, more than you know, and if you were going to have someone from Bon Temps on your show, why wouldn’t you pick Jason who is sex on a stick, but maybe that’s not so good because he is contractually obligated to be naked at least once an episode and Glee is not that kind of show, well it is, but Fox is not HBO, so I guess Sarah Newlin is the next best thing and do you see how that Japanese pop girl group has broken my brain, why, Simon Fuller, why?
What else? Sonya’s piece was not all that special. Russell was ruling that center as usual. Jakob was fabulous some more. Ryan continued to surpass my expectations of what a ballroom boy can bring in contemporary and Legacy more than held his own and now I’m getting sad all over again because Mollee turned it out with Kathryn and Ellenore and that threesome could’ve brought some great dancing to the finale next week and FP, for all her growth, I do not believe can serve it up quite like those ladies did and dammit, what have you done, America? Then the bottom four, which included Ellenore and WTF on that as well, did their solos and with the exception of Ryan (who is doing the best that he can, poor baby) and Mollee (who we would soon see was on the verge of an epic meltdown), all of the solos were miles better than what was presented on performance night. In fact, I’ll go so far as to say that had Legacy done that LXD style solo last night, he might’ve leapfrogged Ryan’s Sympathy Express and kept himself in the competition. And then we were eliminating fools. So thanks to the show’s bullshit injury rules, the Tween Terror is out, which I would’ve been more than happy with last week but this week is causing me to have a minor hissy fit. Legacy is also going home and even though I wanted it last night before the show, it still destroyed me when it happened. No more shirtless Legacy. Let’s have a moment of silence, kittens.
So here’s your final 6. The order reflects how I think the whole thing will shake out. Though this season’s been so topsy turvy, who knows:
Russell – I believe this pretty fool can take it all. He’s extravagantly talented, likeable, magnetic, and charismatic. And gorgeous. Gorgeous always helps. Unca Nigel would not be happy with this win. Russell is supposed to be the feel good growth story, not the winner, but he has enough juice to crash the party.
Ashleigh – Darlings, I confess. I’ve been sleeping on the Fug Princess this whole time. I don’t understand it, but I do think FP will outlast her hubby, Ellenore and at least one of the remaining three dancers. All of whom are far superior to FP. It’s a head scratcher, but there you go.
Jakob – Once again, I think the most talented dancer will not win this show. Maybe next year with Billy Bell?
Kathryn – She’s been building momentum, but I still think she’s not got the Jeanine factor. She might leapfrog FP, but I’ll be shocked if she gets past either of the two solid boy candidates.
Ellenore – Should be much, much higher than this but won’t be because America is apparently blind and crazy. Bitches.
Ryan – On the real, he made it in on the pity vote which will not carry him very far in the finale, I don’t think. Still one of the best partners that the show has ever had. And fine. He’d better be shirtless at several points during next week’s show, is what I’m saying.
Finale? Yes, please, darlings. And then we rest a few weeks and get ready for all the horrible, horrible things they’ve done to Idol in the span of a few short months. I need a drink and it hasn’t even begun yet.
There’s not a lot to say about last night’s show. Shankdaddy is turning ever more horrible the longer he stays on the permanent judges’ panel. Please for the love of all that’s holy, let him get a movie to direct sometime soon so that he can be unavoidably out of pocket for the permanent gig next summer. If we must have a three judge panel, let Ms. Debbie Allen do it. Her voice (and weave) has been sorely missed this season. Cat let us know that auditions for S7 are picking right up again. No rest for the wicked and all that and family, I’m happy that the SYTYCD production team has a strong Puritan work ethic, but take a break already. For real. The seams are showing, show.
Kittens, you know I don’t recap musical performances on this show. I refuse. That’s what I always say. But the Honey Dip was there. Oooh, y’all, he’s still so, so pretty. Hotter than the sun is our Mr. Kris Allen. And see, this is not about the performance at all. The less said about that the better. Poor Honey Dip. I see now why he’s only sold about three copies of his debut album. But he’s still beautiful, though. He’ll always have his looks to fall back on. The other performance, if one can call it that, was just so bizarre. I can’t call it, kiddies. I’ma have to let the good writers from Glee handle it. As the lovely 5th runner up Miss Ohio 2002 said, ''They weren't singing, they were, like, honking, and everyone was crying, and I was like, 'Get off the stage, you're terrible. And you're making me super uncomfortable.''' Yes, well said 5th runner up who will always be Sarah Newlin to me and I miss you, True Blood, more than you know, and if you were going to have someone from Bon Temps on your show, why wouldn’t you pick Jason who is sex on a stick, but maybe that’s not so good because he is contractually obligated to be naked at least once an episode and Glee is not that kind of show, well it is, but Fox is not HBO, so I guess Sarah Newlin is the next best thing and do you see how that Japanese pop girl group has broken my brain, why, Simon Fuller, why?
What else? Sonya’s piece was not all that special. Russell was ruling that center as usual. Jakob was fabulous some more. Ryan continued to surpass my expectations of what a ballroom boy can bring in contemporary and Legacy more than held his own and now I’m getting sad all over again because Mollee turned it out with Kathryn and Ellenore and that threesome could’ve brought some great dancing to the finale next week and FP, for all her growth, I do not believe can serve it up quite like those ladies did and dammit, what have you done, America? Then the bottom four, which included Ellenore and WTF on that as well, did their solos and with the exception of Ryan (who is doing the best that he can, poor baby) and Mollee (who we would soon see was on the verge of an epic meltdown), all of the solos were miles better than what was presented on performance night. In fact, I’ll go so far as to say that had Legacy done that LXD style solo last night, he might’ve leapfrogged Ryan’s Sympathy Express and kept himself in the competition. And then we were eliminating fools. So thanks to the show’s bullshit injury rules, the Tween Terror is out, which I would’ve been more than happy with last week but this week is causing me to have a minor hissy fit. Legacy is also going home and even though I wanted it last night before the show, it still destroyed me when it happened. No more shirtless Legacy. Let’s have a moment of silence, kittens.
So here’s your final 6. The order reflects how I think the whole thing will shake out. Though this season’s been so topsy turvy, who knows:
Russell – I believe this pretty fool can take it all. He’s extravagantly talented, likeable, magnetic, and charismatic. And gorgeous. Gorgeous always helps. Unca Nigel would not be happy with this win. Russell is supposed to be the feel good growth story, not the winner, but he has enough juice to crash the party.
Ashleigh – Darlings, I confess. I’ve been sleeping on the Fug Princess this whole time. I don’t understand it, but I do think FP will outlast her hubby, Ellenore and at least one of the remaining three dancers. All of whom are far superior to FP. It’s a head scratcher, but there you go.
Jakob – Once again, I think the most talented dancer will not win this show. Maybe next year with Billy Bell?
Kathryn – She’s been building momentum, but I still think she’s not got the Jeanine factor. She might leapfrog FP, but I’ll be shocked if she gets past either of the two solid boy candidates.
Ellenore – Should be much, much higher than this but won’t be because America is apparently blind and crazy. Bitches.
Ryan – On the real, he made it in on the pity vote which will not carry him very far in the finale, I don’t think. Still one of the best partners that the show has ever had. And fine. He’d better be shirtless at several points during next week’s show, is what I’m saying.
Finale? Yes, please, darlings. And then we rest a few weeks and get ready for all the horrible, horrible things they’ve done to Idol in the span of a few short months. I need a drink and it hasn’t even begun yet.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
SYTYCD S6 Finals Ep12 Almost Perfect
How do I do it, kittens? I know this show so well it’s almost scary. Yes, let’s start with props to me for getting all the new pairings right. Really, there was no other way that could’ve gone down, but I’ll never pass up an opportunity to point out when I’m right. Noodles, there was so much to love about last night’s show, no? The new pairings really worked. Even Jakob/Mollee because Jakob is magic. Most of the choreographers were on fire. The crack hos saved all their crazy for Cat and turned out lovely costumes for the kids. The judges called out bad choreography and suspect dancing when warranted. So close to a perfect show. I can forgive the flaws, but not before ripping on them because what fun would that be?
If You Haven’t Got Anything Nice to Say About Anybody, Come Sit Next to Me
The Cat Deeley Problem
Cat Deeley, just what in the world? You know what, darlings, never mind. There really is no explanation for Cat’s outfit from last night. Gold lamé high waisted romper with a foot wide black elastic belt? I don’t think so. And we haven’t even commented on the bondage sandals or the atrocious hair and make up yet. Cat, you must start anew. Break out the Prell and the Philosophy Hope in a Bottle face wash. Burn that outfit and salt the earth. And then, have a check in with the crack hos in wardrobe and the trannys in hair and make up so that they can provide you with some sorely needed wardrobe tips and who ever thought I would type those words, noodles! Cat needs to get right with Fashion Jesus. Such a lovely girl. Why would she want to dress like a . . . I can’t even come up with the analogy. It defies logic. Just no.
The NappyTab Problem
Leave it to NappyTab to deliver the sole clunker routine of the night. They are really just garbage. Kiddies, they had that one routine that one time that was good, but the sun even shines on a dog’s ass some days. Please, please retire these so-called choreographers. And I hope Shane put a foot in that ass for biting on his backwards mask routine for Travis and Donyelle in S2. And I hope Travis continued the beating after Shane was done. Family, they can't even steal from their betters correctly. The routine was tired and they had two dancers that can absolutely bring it in hip hop. What a wasted opportunity.
The Fug Princess Problem
This is not really a Fug Princess problem. FP has secretly kind of worn down my resistance to her over the course of the season and made me stop worrying and learn to love the fugly. And she was the sweetest and the most charming she’s ever been last night with her little sling and her feisty attitude. And from the looks of the rehearsal clips, she came to work again this week. Kittens, she was laying it down like she was broke and the rent was due tomorrow. So the name misleads, no? Because my problem with the whole FP situation is not an FP problem. Nay, it is a show problem. It is a Nigel and Simon Fuller and bullshit machinations that stretch all the way back to Pasha and Jesse and JLo and panty flashing problem. Look, this is a competition show. If you can’t compete, you need to go home. Period. Full stop. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. If I’m watching the Lakers play the Celtics in the NBA finals Game 7 and Kobe Bryant can’t play that night because he threw out his shoulder practicing a Bollywood style dance number, David Stern is not going to leave it up to the fans in the stadium to decide who ultimately wins the game by popular vote and then have the referees plead with the audience to take into account Kobe’s entire body of work in order to decide whether he would have dropped 50 on those fools so that they can vote for the Lakers to win the game even though Kobe didn’t play, right? So too for SYTYCD. It’s win or go home. Not sit out, play for sympathy votes and have your husband cry or go home. The show is working these kids so hard that this situation is bound to keep cropping up in seasons to come, so they need to get on remedying the way they respond to contestant injuries immediately. If FP makes the finals over one of the three girls who actually danced last night, I will not be pleased.
The Mollee Problem
The Tween Terror danced well, better than she’s ever danced on the show. Even her solo didn’t devolve into an Olympic gymnastics floor routine until the very end. She did all everything right and since FP didn’t dance, well . . . see the paragraph above. But on a personal level, darlings, she is so unpleasant. The giggling and the baby talk and the stupid. It burns. I do not want to see this fool clogging up my finale. She is off putting in ways that Nathan only dreamed of. Who is voting for her and how can we make them stop? When she was musing about all the great things that could happen for her should she somehow manage to win this entire thing, I wanted to reach for the brain bleach in order to scrub the thought from my mind. I also wanted to ask her what exactly all these big, bold opportunities that past winners have had access to as a result of being on this show were. I’ve seen an ass load of non-winners doing other things on TV and in movies, but whither Nick, Benji, Sabra, Joshua? I’ll give Jeanine a pass because she just won like a second ago. Maybe I missed something but Twitch is the one doing movies. Lacey, Dmitri and Chelsie are the ones on DWTS. Danny’s the one with his own dance magazine. Travis is the one blowing up as a choreographer on this very show. Qwest and Donyelle are the ones taking over on ABDC. What do they all have in common? Umm, they didn’t win this show. Moron. Noodles, this one cannot make the finale. And yet, it would be wrong for her not to make the finale. I’m on the horns of a dilemma.
Butter Wouldn’t Melt in My Mouth
Everyone danced well (even if the choreography wasn’t stellar) so it doesn’t matter where we start, right? Follow the bouncing bitch, kiddies.
Mollee/Jakob/Broadway/Joey Dowling (Easy Street/Annie TV Cast Recording) – I’ve decided that I dislike this Joey Dowling. I don’t’ know what it is, kittens. Can’t quite put my finger on it. I think she thinks she’s better than she is. And she’s not all that, really. I was happy that Nigel called her out, and by extension called out Tasty, for the vaudeville and the over-reliance on the faux Fosse. There is a world of dance out there, SYTYCD Broadway choreographers. Embrace it. Let Spencer Liff be your guide. That said, I enjoyed this piece. Mollee and Jakob both have wonderful technique and it was on full display here. And the costume change in the middle was fun. They really grabbed onto the style and the characters and they interacted well together. Somehow, Jakob pulled a dancer out of Tween Terror. I think this kid can do anything.
Side note: Did Cat call Mollee an absinthe fairy? I think that might explain the outfit, noodles, don’t you?
Ellenore Solo (I Got the Feeling/James Brown) – I didn’t like it. I felt for the first time that she was trying to manufacture the quirk rather than to be the quirk. But I like her. A lot. She’s still made of sugar and spice and everything nice.
Jakob Solo (When You Say My Name/Mario Spinetti) – I don’t know that America is ready for Jakob in booty shorts. It was gorgeous – he always is – but it might have almost been a touch too feminine for your home viewing audience. I could see one of the girls doing a very similar piece and that is not OK for this show.
Ashleigh/Russell/Hip Hop/Shane (Too Much Booty 2/Bobby J Remix) – I’ve missed real hip hop on this show so, so much. Thank god for Shane Sparks. And the time off from the show has done him a world of good. I’m not a fan of revisiting iconic pieces from shows past, and one could hardly find a more seminal piece for this show than Benji and Donyelle's Too Much Booty, but I’ll be darned if Shane didn’t mostly pull it off here. The choreography was different enough that the piece paid homage to the original without seeming repetitive. And of course, he was blessed to have Russell who is simply a beast. He destroyed that routine. So hard hitting when it need to be. So smooth and fluid when it was called for. He connected with the assistant, who was totally half assing it, let’s be real. And the joy radiated off of him in waves. Russell is the truth, family. I don’t know what else to say. That move on the knee was bananas. I could watch him dance hip hop all night long. Oh, and FP was crushing it in the rehearsal footage. She had that booty shaking like a Champagne Room pro. Holla.
Kathryn/Ryan/Disco/Doriana Sanchez (Last Dance/Donna Summer) – I must say that Doriana put more dance content into that routine than normal. It wasn’t just a trick factory. There were entire eight counts where Kathryn and Ryan were doing actual choreography. What? And doing it extremely well, I might add. These two had chemistry by the bucket load. The dance was fun and sexy. Kathryn looked amazing. This would be true all night. And Ryan is perhaps the best partner dancer they have ever had. Only Pasha can touch him. He really knows how to frame his partner and he’s so solid. The hand positions in all of the turns and lifts is always right on. And he knows how to lead. He makes the lady’s work so much easier. I really liked this dance. Not just liked it for disco. Liked it period. And Doriana, a grateful America thanks you for leaving out the cunniliftus.
Mollee Solo (Heartburn/Alicia Keys) – Best solo she’s ever done on the show. She was more musical. It wasn’t just a floor routine in disguise. Kittens, the Tween Terror came to play last night.
Kathryn Solo (Shadowfeet/Brooke Fraser) – Of course, Mollee got schooled by Kathryn. I have not always enjoyed her solos, but last night she was exquisite. She showed great control, musicality, and flexibility. Her center is phenomenal. Darlings, I loved that. And she’s gorgeous. Not just as a dancer. The woman is physically just a gorgeous thing. The high talker has knocked me out this season. Who knew?
Ellenore/Legacy/Hip Hop/NappyTab (People Are Strange/The Doors District 78 Remix) – This pretty much sucked. The NappyTab problem was part of it. The other problem was that Ellenore and Legacy did not match. Their levels were off throughout most of the dance and they had some problems with synchronization. There were a couple of nice moments. Legacy doing the flares on Ellenore’s back was fancy. The freeze he hit was tight. But both of these kids are out of this world hip hop dancers. (And yes, the pun was intended) If you don’t know, you better ask somebody. Or, you know, just go to youtube and find the many, many videos of them demolishing much more technically demanding routines. This could have been spectacular. Instead it was just head scratchingly disappointing.
Mollee/Jakob/Viennese Waltz/Jason Gilickson (Ordinary Day/Vanessa Carlton) – The dance was quite beautiful. It wasn’t a waltz, so if you are willing to let that go, then you surely loved this. I am not willing to let that go, so I was annoyed. Don’t try to sell me Cucci in Chinatown and make believe it’s Tom Ford. The dance was waltz adjacent. There might have even been a moment where they were in closed hold. But between the jetes and butterfly turns (Thank you, Shankdaddy!) and all the side by side work, it can hardly qualify as ballroom. It was fine. It was a pretty, ballroom inspired, contemporary piece. I wanted to see a waltz, though, so . . . I guess you really can’t always get what you want, kiddies.
Ryan Solo (Dim Da Da/Kevin Aviance) – Ballroom dancers’ solos mostly suck. Good choice of music? The tears came off sweet and sincere rather than cheesy? Yeah, I got nothing.
Legacy (Fancy Footwork/Chromeo) – It was good but what was the business with the phone? Ummm, OK, crazy.
Ashleigh/Russell/Bollywood/Nakul (Spirit of Rangeela/Rangeela Soundtrack) – Wheeeee! Now that’s entertainment, kiddies. Darlings, this kid is a little ball of wonderful. I totally agreed with Nigel here. (And you know how much I hate it when that happens) Even with a consummate Bollywood professional as a partner, I could not take my eyes off Russell. And yes, the shirtlessness may have had something to do with that, but honestly, it was mostly due to the dancing. He was amazing in this piece. Crisp and clean and sharp and energetic and joyful. There’s that word again. Joy. Kittens, I dare you to watch this child and try to keep an ear-to-ear cheese eating grin from breaking out. And he made it look easy. And he looked good going.
Kathryn/Ryan/Cha Cha/Jason Gilickson (Hands On Me/Joss Stone) – Sex. Bomb. Kathryn’s legs go on for days. Talk about Ann Reinking. Ryan was sex on a stick and those hips needed a parental warning. Great hip action. Great feet. Smooth transitions. Lots of great partner work in hold. And the final position was love. Oh, and I would wear Kathryn’s costume as normal, around the house wear. Damn, that was good. And if ever there were a time for the damn train (and btw, Mary, there is never a time for the damn train), this was it. That’s the way you make a case for the finale, y’all.
Russell Solo (Holiday Buckness/The J Squad) – Noodles, there are so many things here. I mean, Russell was beyond fabulous. He danced right out of his shoes, not on purpose, I suspect, and then put them right back on and kept being awesome. Fierce! But why was he dressed like Santa? What is holiday buckness and how can I avoid it at all costs? Why do people put sunglasses on teddy bears? They can’t really see, you know? So many mysteries, kiddies.
Ellenore/Legacy/Contemporary/Travis Wall (Machine Gun/Portishead) – Y’all it was so good they had to give this couple the split screen. Travis frikkin’ Wall, family! And to think we knew him when. That was aggression and passion. Total commitment. They threw themselves into that dance. Ellenore is a dance warrior. And Legacy has come so far. Yes, there were many, many b-boy moves worked into the piece. So what? Contemporary is a made up genre anyway. Who’s to say what counts and what doesn’t? Why, I think that would be the choreographer, wouldn’t it? There was one irritating moment when Ellenore was downstage serving and Legacy was . . . somewhere, I don’t even know where, playing the Cedric. But overall, that was ferocious. Travis has been on fire this season. He’s not put one foot wrong. I think his piece for Jeanine and Jason will forever be my favorite Travis Wall Joint, but this one’s not far behind.
On and On and On and On
Russell, Jakob, Ellenore, Kathryn. I don’t care who rounds out the top 6. If those four don’t make it, America, you will have some splainin’ to do. If forced to make a prediction (because that’s what I do, right?), I’d think America will keep Legacy for the story and the journey. Though by rights it should be Ryan because the bitch brought it this week and he’s just a damn good partner and better all around dancer than Legacy, who has been catered to this entire season. Do the math, kittens. How many times did Ryan dance in his own style this season? Once. Last night with the cha cha. How many times did Legacy dance hip hop or get a style that allowed the choreographers to liberally sprinkle the routine with b-boy moves? Exactly. Legacy got the Twitch treatment and did well with it. Ryan got pushed out of his comfort zone practically every week and blew it up. It should be Mr. DiLello, but I expect to see him go home. For the girls, I’m stumped. It really could go either way. This will be a true test of the Tween Terror’s fan base. I think she may have just enough juice to squeeze through, so I’ll go with Mollee to fill out the final girls’ Top 6 slot, but wouldn’t be surprised at all if Fug Princess pulled off the upset.
See you in a few hours. Let’s all pray that Cat’s closet has been tragically infested by a rare species of moth only capable of digesting lamé and/or rompers and that said moths have destroyed every offending piece of clothing in her wardrobe leaving her with only a selection of simple yet elegant frocks for tonight’s festivities.
If You Haven’t Got Anything Nice to Say About Anybody, Come Sit Next to Me
The Cat Deeley Problem
Cat Deeley, just what in the world? You know what, darlings, never mind. There really is no explanation for Cat’s outfit from last night. Gold lamé high waisted romper with a foot wide black elastic belt? I don’t think so. And we haven’t even commented on the bondage sandals or the atrocious hair and make up yet. Cat, you must start anew. Break out the Prell and the Philosophy Hope in a Bottle face wash. Burn that outfit and salt the earth. And then, have a check in with the crack hos in wardrobe and the trannys in hair and make up so that they can provide you with some sorely needed wardrobe tips and who ever thought I would type those words, noodles! Cat needs to get right with Fashion Jesus. Such a lovely girl. Why would she want to dress like a . . . I can’t even come up with the analogy. It defies logic. Just no.
The NappyTab Problem
Leave it to NappyTab to deliver the sole clunker routine of the night. They are really just garbage. Kiddies, they had that one routine that one time that was good, but the sun even shines on a dog’s ass some days. Please, please retire these so-called choreographers. And I hope Shane put a foot in that ass for biting on his backwards mask routine for Travis and Donyelle in S2. And I hope Travis continued the beating after Shane was done. Family, they can't even steal from their betters correctly. The routine was tired and they had two dancers that can absolutely bring it in hip hop. What a wasted opportunity.
The Fug Princess Problem
This is not really a Fug Princess problem. FP has secretly kind of worn down my resistance to her over the course of the season and made me stop worrying and learn to love the fugly. And she was the sweetest and the most charming she’s ever been last night with her little sling and her feisty attitude. And from the looks of the rehearsal clips, she came to work again this week. Kittens, she was laying it down like she was broke and the rent was due tomorrow. So the name misleads, no? Because my problem with the whole FP situation is not an FP problem. Nay, it is a show problem. It is a Nigel and Simon Fuller and bullshit machinations that stretch all the way back to Pasha and Jesse and JLo and panty flashing problem. Look, this is a competition show. If you can’t compete, you need to go home. Period. Full stop. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. If I’m watching the Lakers play the Celtics in the NBA finals Game 7 and Kobe Bryant can’t play that night because he threw out his shoulder practicing a Bollywood style dance number, David Stern is not going to leave it up to the fans in the stadium to decide who ultimately wins the game by popular vote and then have the referees plead with the audience to take into account Kobe’s entire body of work in order to decide whether he would have dropped 50 on those fools so that they can vote for the Lakers to win the game even though Kobe didn’t play, right? So too for SYTYCD. It’s win or go home. Not sit out, play for sympathy votes and have your husband cry or go home. The show is working these kids so hard that this situation is bound to keep cropping up in seasons to come, so they need to get on remedying the way they respond to contestant injuries immediately. If FP makes the finals over one of the three girls who actually danced last night, I will not be pleased.
The Mollee Problem
The Tween Terror danced well, better than she’s ever danced on the show. Even her solo didn’t devolve into an Olympic gymnastics floor routine until the very end. She did all everything right and since FP didn’t dance, well . . . see the paragraph above. But on a personal level, darlings, she is so unpleasant. The giggling and the baby talk and the stupid. It burns. I do not want to see this fool clogging up my finale. She is off putting in ways that Nathan only dreamed of. Who is voting for her and how can we make them stop? When she was musing about all the great things that could happen for her should she somehow manage to win this entire thing, I wanted to reach for the brain bleach in order to scrub the thought from my mind. I also wanted to ask her what exactly all these big, bold opportunities that past winners have had access to as a result of being on this show were. I’ve seen an ass load of non-winners doing other things on TV and in movies, but whither Nick, Benji, Sabra, Joshua? I’ll give Jeanine a pass because she just won like a second ago. Maybe I missed something but Twitch is the one doing movies. Lacey, Dmitri and Chelsie are the ones on DWTS. Danny’s the one with his own dance magazine. Travis is the one blowing up as a choreographer on this very show. Qwest and Donyelle are the ones taking over on ABDC. What do they all have in common? Umm, they didn’t win this show. Moron. Noodles, this one cannot make the finale. And yet, it would be wrong for her not to make the finale. I’m on the horns of a dilemma.
Butter Wouldn’t Melt in My Mouth
Everyone danced well (even if the choreography wasn’t stellar) so it doesn’t matter where we start, right? Follow the bouncing bitch, kiddies.
Mollee/Jakob/Broadway/Joey Dowling (Easy Street/Annie TV Cast Recording) – I’ve decided that I dislike this Joey Dowling. I don’t’ know what it is, kittens. Can’t quite put my finger on it. I think she thinks she’s better than she is. And she’s not all that, really. I was happy that Nigel called her out, and by extension called out Tasty, for the vaudeville and the over-reliance on the faux Fosse. There is a world of dance out there, SYTYCD Broadway choreographers. Embrace it. Let Spencer Liff be your guide. That said, I enjoyed this piece. Mollee and Jakob both have wonderful technique and it was on full display here. And the costume change in the middle was fun. They really grabbed onto the style and the characters and they interacted well together. Somehow, Jakob pulled a dancer out of Tween Terror. I think this kid can do anything.
Side note: Did Cat call Mollee an absinthe fairy? I think that might explain the outfit, noodles, don’t you?
Ellenore Solo (I Got the Feeling/James Brown) – I didn’t like it. I felt for the first time that she was trying to manufacture the quirk rather than to be the quirk. But I like her. A lot. She’s still made of sugar and spice and everything nice.
Jakob Solo (When You Say My Name/Mario Spinetti) – I don’t know that America is ready for Jakob in booty shorts. It was gorgeous – he always is – but it might have almost been a touch too feminine for your home viewing audience. I could see one of the girls doing a very similar piece and that is not OK for this show.
Ashleigh/Russell/Hip Hop/Shane (Too Much Booty 2/Bobby J Remix) – I’ve missed real hip hop on this show so, so much. Thank god for Shane Sparks. And the time off from the show has done him a world of good. I’m not a fan of revisiting iconic pieces from shows past, and one could hardly find a more seminal piece for this show than Benji and Donyelle's Too Much Booty, but I’ll be darned if Shane didn’t mostly pull it off here. The choreography was different enough that the piece paid homage to the original without seeming repetitive. And of course, he was blessed to have Russell who is simply a beast. He destroyed that routine. So hard hitting when it need to be. So smooth and fluid when it was called for. He connected with the assistant, who was totally half assing it, let’s be real. And the joy radiated off of him in waves. Russell is the truth, family. I don’t know what else to say. That move on the knee was bananas. I could watch him dance hip hop all night long. Oh, and FP was crushing it in the rehearsal footage. She had that booty shaking like a Champagne Room pro. Holla.
Kathryn/Ryan/Disco/Doriana Sanchez (Last Dance/Donna Summer) – I must say that Doriana put more dance content into that routine than normal. It wasn’t just a trick factory. There were entire eight counts where Kathryn and Ryan were doing actual choreography. What? And doing it extremely well, I might add. These two had chemistry by the bucket load. The dance was fun and sexy. Kathryn looked amazing. This would be true all night. And Ryan is perhaps the best partner dancer they have ever had. Only Pasha can touch him. He really knows how to frame his partner and he’s so solid. The hand positions in all of the turns and lifts is always right on. And he knows how to lead. He makes the lady’s work so much easier. I really liked this dance. Not just liked it for disco. Liked it period. And Doriana, a grateful America thanks you for leaving out the cunniliftus.
Mollee Solo (Heartburn/Alicia Keys) – Best solo she’s ever done on the show. She was more musical. It wasn’t just a floor routine in disguise. Kittens, the Tween Terror came to play last night.
Kathryn Solo (Shadowfeet/Brooke Fraser) – Of course, Mollee got schooled by Kathryn. I have not always enjoyed her solos, but last night she was exquisite. She showed great control, musicality, and flexibility. Her center is phenomenal. Darlings, I loved that. And she’s gorgeous. Not just as a dancer. The woman is physically just a gorgeous thing. The high talker has knocked me out this season. Who knew?
Ellenore/Legacy/Hip Hop/NappyTab (People Are Strange/The Doors District 78 Remix) – This pretty much sucked. The NappyTab problem was part of it. The other problem was that Ellenore and Legacy did not match. Their levels were off throughout most of the dance and they had some problems with synchronization. There were a couple of nice moments. Legacy doing the flares on Ellenore’s back was fancy. The freeze he hit was tight. But both of these kids are out of this world hip hop dancers. (And yes, the pun was intended) If you don’t know, you better ask somebody. Or, you know, just go to youtube and find the many, many videos of them demolishing much more technically demanding routines. This could have been spectacular. Instead it was just head scratchingly disappointing.
Mollee/Jakob/Viennese Waltz/Jason Gilickson (Ordinary Day/Vanessa Carlton) – The dance was quite beautiful. It wasn’t a waltz, so if you are willing to let that go, then you surely loved this. I am not willing to let that go, so I was annoyed. Don’t try to sell me Cucci in Chinatown and make believe it’s Tom Ford. The dance was waltz adjacent. There might have even been a moment where they were in closed hold. But between the jetes and butterfly turns (Thank you, Shankdaddy!) and all the side by side work, it can hardly qualify as ballroom. It was fine. It was a pretty, ballroom inspired, contemporary piece. I wanted to see a waltz, though, so . . . I guess you really can’t always get what you want, kiddies.
Ryan Solo (Dim Da Da/Kevin Aviance) – Ballroom dancers’ solos mostly suck. Good choice of music? The tears came off sweet and sincere rather than cheesy? Yeah, I got nothing.
Legacy (Fancy Footwork/Chromeo) – It was good but what was the business with the phone? Ummm, OK, crazy.
Ashleigh/Russell/Bollywood/Nakul (Spirit of Rangeela/Rangeela Soundtrack) – Wheeeee! Now that’s entertainment, kiddies. Darlings, this kid is a little ball of wonderful. I totally agreed with Nigel here. (And you know how much I hate it when that happens) Even with a consummate Bollywood professional as a partner, I could not take my eyes off Russell. And yes, the shirtlessness may have had something to do with that, but honestly, it was mostly due to the dancing. He was amazing in this piece. Crisp and clean and sharp and energetic and joyful. There’s that word again. Joy. Kittens, I dare you to watch this child and try to keep an ear-to-ear cheese eating grin from breaking out. And he made it look easy. And he looked good going.
Kathryn/Ryan/Cha Cha/Jason Gilickson (Hands On Me/Joss Stone) – Sex. Bomb. Kathryn’s legs go on for days. Talk about Ann Reinking. Ryan was sex on a stick and those hips needed a parental warning. Great hip action. Great feet. Smooth transitions. Lots of great partner work in hold. And the final position was love. Oh, and I would wear Kathryn’s costume as normal, around the house wear. Damn, that was good. And if ever there were a time for the damn train (and btw, Mary, there is never a time for the damn train), this was it. That’s the way you make a case for the finale, y’all.
Russell Solo (Holiday Buckness/The J Squad) – Noodles, there are so many things here. I mean, Russell was beyond fabulous. He danced right out of his shoes, not on purpose, I suspect, and then put them right back on and kept being awesome. Fierce! But why was he dressed like Santa? What is holiday buckness and how can I avoid it at all costs? Why do people put sunglasses on teddy bears? They can’t really see, you know? So many mysteries, kiddies.
Ellenore/Legacy/Contemporary/Travis Wall (Machine Gun/Portishead) – Y’all it was so good they had to give this couple the split screen. Travis frikkin’ Wall, family! And to think we knew him when. That was aggression and passion. Total commitment. They threw themselves into that dance. Ellenore is a dance warrior. And Legacy has come so far. Yes, there were many, many b-boy moves worked into the piece. So what? Contemporary is a made up genre anyway. Who’s to say what counts and what doesn’t? Why, I think that would be the choreographer, wouldn’t it? There was one irritating moment when Ellenore was downstage serving and Legacy was . . . somewhere, I don’t even know where, playing the Cedric. But overall, that was ferocious. Travis has been on fire this season. He’s not put one foot wrong. I think his piece for Jeanine and Jason will forever be my favorite Travis Wall Joint, but this one’s not far behind.
On and On and On and On
Russell, Jakob, Ellenore, Kathryn. I don’t care who rounds out the top 6. If those four don’t make it, America, you will have some splainin’ to do. If forced to make a prediction (because that’s what I do, right?), I’d think America will keep Legacy for the story and the journey. Though by rights it should be Ryan because the bitch brought it this week and he’s just a damn good partner and better all around dancer than Legacy, who has been catered to this entire season. Do the math, kittens. How many times did Ryan dance in his own style this season? Once. Last night with the cha cha. How many times did Legacy dance hip hop or get a style that allowed the choreographers to liberally sprinkle the routine with b-boy moves? Exactly. Legacy got the Twitch treatment and did well with it. Ryan got pushed out of his comfort zone practically every week and blew it up. It should be Mr. DiLello, but I expect to see him go home. For the girls, I’m stumped. It really could go either way. This will be a true test of the Tween Terror’s fan base. I think she may have just enough juice to squeeze through, so I’ll go with Mollee to fill out the final girls’ Top 6 slot, but wouldn’t be surprised at all if Fug Princess pulled off the upset.
See you in a few hours. Let’s all pray that Cat’s closet has been tragically infested by a rare species of moth only capable of digesting lamé and/or rompers and that said moths have destroyed every offending piece of clothing in her wardrobe leaving her with only a selection of simple yet elegant frocks for tonight’s festivities.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
SYTYCD S6 Finals Ep11 Here to Curse the Darkness
Oh, Cat Deeley. I love you something fierce, but let’s chat, you and I. A bustier is not the same thing as a shirt, OK? And underwear is not acceptable outside clothing. As soon as I saw you dressed like a slutty mental patient with your crazy, red smeared lips, I knew we were in for a less than stellar show. Have you gone back to the crack hos and trannys in wardrobe and hair and make up? I thought you’d made a clean break from them. I have to believe that you did not have that outfit in your own personal closet. I have to believe that you wouldn’t willingly smear fire engine red lipstick all over your mouth in such a way that you look like you applied it using the patented Molly-Ringwald-in-The-Breakfast-Club-Stick-Lipstick-Between-Your-Boobs-and-Have-At-It method. Oh, Cat. And we haven’t even touched on the hair. It is too much. Look away, noodles. Look away.
The show had one spot of brilliance last night, kittens. The League of Extraordinary Dancers blew my whole entire mind. They even made me kind of, sort of, maybe if I squint enjoy that tired Coldplay song, Yellow. I confess, I do not get the whole Coldplay thing. The Scientist. And maybe Clocks. Anything else is like washback left in the bottom of U2’s Slurpee cup, no? But the combo of Vitamin String Quartet’s quasi-classical rendition of the moppiest song in mope-onia plus the sick moves that LXD were laying down was just this side of paradise in a so wrong it’s right kind of way. That synchronized flip sequence has been burned into my retinas. And noodles, I don’t care if Legacy danced with this group before. He didn’t dance with them last night and no one uttered a peep about it and if you don’t like patronage, then you don’t like Hollywood or anything related to the entertainment industry and you should probably stop watching this and every other TV show immediately. And stop going to the movies. And listening to music. And reading books. Because the business is hella shady and based on knowing someone who knows someone who knows someone. Forget Lana Turner at the counter of your corner five and dime, kiddies. Connections are a girl’s best friend. All of that to say that LXD were on point and I would like to see them again on a screen near me very, very soon.
And then the badness happened. All over my TV screen. Over and over again. Where to begin? Where to begin?
Notice how I skipped over the opening number, darlings? Yeah, there was an opening number. It was a piece of trash. The crack whores in wardrobe and the trannys in hair and make up fell into a vat of Mad Max clichés and crawled back out trailing the bedraggled remnants of Tina Turner’s Thunderdome wardrobe behind them and then they drug those bedraggled remnants through a feces filled LA sewer pipe and traipsed them into the CBS Studios dressing room where they stapled them onto the kids’ backs and threw boot black on their faces and then Tasty made them do unspeakable things while clinging to Fat Albert’s chain link fence all so that he could highlight his inappropriate child crush on Jakob and I refuse. So there was that.
And what else happened? Oh yes, Ameriker lost its collective mind and put Kathryn in the B2 girls while the Tween Terror lived to hair fling another day. What in the holy hell, America? And the high talker was so sad. That voice almost got away from her, kittens, but I was willing her to rein it in. And she did. Poor little trooper. No more trips to the B2 for that one, ya heard? She must make it to the bloated top 6 finale show or else.
So there we were with the much wronged Kathryn joining the doomed Noelle for our B2 girls and the unlucky Ryan joining the broken Nathan. And then all of them just did the same damn thing that got them shoved into the bottom the night before on their solos except for the only one whose original solo was worth a damn anyway. And boy did Nathan turn it out for a swan song. First of all, Pretty Wings by Maxwell? Strangé, young sir. Strangé. And to top it off, the solo was beautiful. Again. Some more. Darlings, if this show were So You Think You Can Solo, this kid would be holding the crown right now. But unfortunately, this result is what happens when you come off like an entitled brat for 5 weeks running. And kiddies, I don’t think Nathan is actually a bad kid. Probably not a spoiled, arrogant bone in his body. Nope, I don’t think he’s a rotten, stuck up so-and-so anymore than I really down deep think that Mollee is a giggly idiot 24-7. I think this kid is young and immature. Too young to be on this show. Y’all know how I feel about 16 year olds on Idol. Well I’m getting to feel the same way about 18 year olds on this show. Not only does their dancing tend to lack the requisite maturity, but they themselves often lack the maturity to put themselves forward in the best possible light. For every Jeanine, there are legion of Mollees and Nathans and Laceys and Laurens and young kids who just imploded on the show under the weight of the camera’s glare and their own march to adulthood. Cap it at 20 and let’s keep it moving.
So Noelle and Nathan took a long walk off of a short pier. I should be more broken up about Nathan’s leaving since I’ve been in love with him since S5 auditions, but honestly all of the other boys left have lots to recommend them and have been more engaging personalities and pleasanter presences on the show to date than has Nathan. And he’ll do fine anyway. The kid is a frighteningly good dancer and he’s just a wee baby. With his talent, he’ll not lack for opportunities. As for Noelle, well it should’ve been Mollee, but that was never going to happen with Nigel and Co. pimping so relentlessly for her. And if it hadn’t been this week, Noelle would’ve been out at 8. This way, I think we have a realistic shot at dumping the Tween Terror next week and winding up with a girl’s F3 of Ellenore, Kathryn and FP, which I’d be more than happy with. I think Ryan will surely hit the road next week, leaving two hip hop kids and a contempo boy as the F3 and I am definitely down for a Russell/Legacy/Jakob finale smackdown.
Couples for next week, though, kittens. First things first. I could get behind Rusell/Ellenore and Jakob/Kathryn, but unfortunately I think Jakob might get saddled with Mollee in a vain attempt by the show to save their pretty, pretty princess. I also think there’s no way that you could Pair Mollee with Ryan and not be in violation of Meghan’s Law, and the show won’t let FP and Ryan compete together unless they both find a way to make top 6 and Legacy is not a strong enough partner to save Mollee all on his own. Therefore, what I think what we’ll actually get is:
Russell/ Ashleigh
Jakob/Mollee
Legacy/Ellenore
Ryan/Kathryn
So basically your two strongest guys with your two weakest girls. It would certainly provide a level playing field.
The show had one spot of brilliance last night, kittens. The League of Extraordinary Dancers blew my whole entire mind. They even made me kind of, sort of, maybe if I squint enjoy that tired Coldplay song, Yellow. I confess, I do not get the whole Coldplay thing. The Scientist. And maybe Clocks. Anything else is like washback left in the bottom of U2’s Slurpee cup, no? But the combo of Vitamin String Quartet’s quasi-classical rendition of the moppiest song in mope-onia plus the sick moves that LXD were laying down was just this side of paradise in a so wrong it’s right kind of way. That synchronized flip sequence has been burned into my retinas. And noodles, I don’t care if Legacy danced with this group before. He didn’t dance with them last night and no one uttered a peep about it and if you don’t like patronage, then you don’t like Hollywood or anything related to the entertainment industry and you should probably stop watching this and every other TV show immediately. And stop going to the movies. And listening to music. And reading books. Because the business is hella shady and based on knowing someone who knows someone who knows someone. Forget Lana Turner at the counter of your corner five and dime, kiddies. Connections are a girl’s best friend. All of that to say that LXD were on point and I would like to see them again on a screen near me very, very soon.
And then the badness happened. All over my TV screen. Over and over again. Where to begin? Where to begin?
Notice how I skipped over the opening number, darlings? Yeah, there was an opening number. It was a piece of trash. The crack whores in wardrobe and the trannys in hair and make up fell into a vat of Mad Max clichés and crawled back out trailing the bedraggled remnants of Tina Turner’s Thunderdome wardrobe behind them and then they drug those bedraggled remnants through a feces filled LA sewer pipe and traipsed them into the CBS Studios dressing room where they stapled them onto the kids’ backs and threw boot black on their faces and then Tasty made them do unspeakable things while clinging to Fat Albert’s chain link fence all so that he could highlight his inappropriate child crush on Jakob and I refuse. So there was that.
And what else happened? Oh yes, Ameriker lost its collective mind and put Kathryn in the B2 girls while the Tween Terror lived to hair fling another day. What in the holy hell, America? And the high talker was so sad. That voice almost got away from her, kittens, but I was willing her to rein it in. And she did. Poor little trooper. No more trips to the B2 for that one, ya heard? She must make it to the bloated top 6 finale show or else.
So there we were with the much wronged Kathryn joining the doomed Noelle for our B2 girls and the unlucky Ryan joining the broken Nathan. And then all of them just did the same damn thing that got them shoved into the bottom the night before on their solos except for the only one whose original solo was worth a damn anyway. And boy did Nathan turn it out for a swan song. First of all, Pretty Wings by Maxwell? Strangé, young sir. Strangé. And to top it off, the solo was beautiful. Again. Some more. Darlings, if this show were So You Think You Can Solo, this kid would be holding the crown right now. But unfortunately, this result is what happens when you come off like an entitled brat for 5 weeks running. And kiddies, I don’t think Nathan is actually a bad kid. Probably not a spoiled, arrogant bone in his body. Nope, I don’t think he’s a rotten, stuck up so-and-so anymore than I really down deep think that Mollee is a giggly idiot 24-7. I think this kid is young and immature. Too young to be on this show. Y’all know how I feel about 16 year olds on Idol. Well I’m getting to feel the same way about 18 year olds on this show. Not only does their dancing tend to lack the requisite maturity, but they themselves often lack the maturity to put themselves forward in the best possible light. For every Jeanine, there are legion of Mollees and Nathans and Laceys and Laurens and young kids who just imploded on the show under the weight of the camera’s glare and their own march to adulthood. Cap it at 20 and let’s keep it moving.
So Noelle and Nathan took a long walk off of a short pier. I should be more broken up about Nathan’s leaving since I’ve been in love with him since S5 auditions, but honestly all of the other boys left have lots to recommend them and have been more engaging personalities and pleasanter presences on the show to date than has Nathan. And he’ll do fine anyway. The kid is a frighteningly good dancer and he’s just a wee baby. With his talent, he’ll not lack for opportunities. As for Noelle, well it should’ve been Mollee, but that was never going to happen with Nigel and Co. pimping so relentlessly for her. And if it hadn’t been this week, Noelle would’ve been out at 8. This way, I think we have a realistic shot at dumping the Tween Terror next week and winding up with a girl’s F3 of Ellenore, Kathryn and FP, which I’d be more than happy with. I think Ryan will surely hit the road next week, leaving two hip hop kids and a contempo boy as the F3 and I am definitely down for a Russell/Legacy/Jakob finale smackdown.
Couples for next week, though, kittens. First things first. I could get behind Rusell/Ellenore and Jakob/Kathryn, but unfortunately I think Jakob might get saddled with Mollee in a vain attempt by the show to save their pretty, pretty princess. I also think there’s no way that you could Pair Mollee with Ryan and not be in violation of Meghan’s Law, and the show won’t let FP and Ryan compete together unless they both find a way to make top 6 and Legacy is not a strong enough partner to save Mollee all on his own. Therefore, what I think what we’ll actually get is:
Russell/ Ashleigh
Jakob/Mollee
Legacy/Ellenore
Ryan/Kathryn
So basically your two strongest guys with your two weakest girls. It would certainly provide a level playing field.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
SYTYCD S6 Finals Ep 10 Dancing as Fast as They Can
So Cat came out wearing some backless monstrosity with a black muff eating her head and I thought, “Bad night at the office ahead.” But no, kittens. I was sorely mistaken. Our intrepid top 10 turned it out, darlings. I think that may have been one of the best top 10 nights ever. And chock full of dance! Oh, my stars and garters. Two dances plus solos for all? Oh, Nigel. You really want to break these kids down. Let’s hop to it because results night will be upon us before we know it. We’ll go in order because there’s so much and I just can’t, noodles. Everyone into the pool.
Clip Free Zone
No rehearsal clips. I think I just died and went to SYTYCD heaven. And cute parents by the barrel full. Even FPs mom and her truly tragique hair gave us something to love. And I’m not talking about the Bumpit she was sporting. So much love for the parents. Especially Jakob’s poor, confused, sports obsessed dad. Look at him now, y’all. He loves his live, gay son! Russell’s dad, Ellenore’s mom (moved to NYC, what?), Legacy’s dad groovin’ in the audience and embarrassing him all to hell. Parents are love, family. Go call yours. Well, finish reading this first and then go call yours.
And Now, We Dance
Noelle/Ryan/Hip Hop/NappyTab (Give It To Me Right/Melanie Fiona) – Well, it wasn’t hip hop, but we knew that, right? NappyTab tried to get all Mandy Table Dance on us with the business at the desk, but then it all devolved into some left over No Air/Bleeding Love nonsense. They are still trying to re-capture that lightning in a bottle, but all of their tricks are so tired. Noelle was good here, better than Ryan. But Ryan was yards better in this hip hop than he had been during his first attempt. The white clad, skiing thieves fiasco. Ptui. Let us never speak of it again. But this? Well, it was OK. The whole dance was kind of content free. And these two weren’t terrible. They weren’t terrific, either. That will be a theme with them. Take note. Hip hop on SYTYCD continues to be the big loser. I’ve never missed Shane more.
Ashleigh/Legacy/Contemporary/Gary Stewart (Missed the song name/Prodigy) – Kiddies, I confess. I did not get it. At all. I’m normally down to go wherever the choreographers want to take me, especially if they push a challenge on the audience and force them to wake up from their competition coma, but this piece just did nothing for me. I think it was technically demanding. It was aggressive and aerobic. It required a lot of attack from the dancers and there were some challenging technical pieces. A couple of nice turn sequences from them both. Lots of lifts and throws. And can we deal with the fact that Fug Princess was serving tonight? Noodles, she destroyed this piece. Aggressive and strong with a display of some surprisingly solid technique. Legacy held his own and got the best move of the dance with the ending headstand. And yet, I didn’t like it. It just kind of unfolded without grabbing me in any way. Eh. I’d still like to see more from this Gary Stewart. He’s definitely a new POV on the show. I’m just not sure I got it. Nix that, noodles. I’m quite sure I didn’t get it. I’m intrigued, though.
Mollee Solo (Rock the Beat/LMFAO) – I hate the Tween Terror and her flipping, flopping, competition dancer ass. That’s all.
Russell Solo (Black Milk/Outkast) – Amazing. There are no words. As much as I hate Mollee, that’s how much I love Russell. Kid is a star.
Kathryn/Nathan/Broadway/Spencer Liff (Choreography/Danny Kaye) – Spencer Liff is my Broadway god. Kittens, how can they ever, ever let Tasty do broadway again on this show now that we’ve seen what it can and should look like? That, darlings, was marvelous work by both choreographer and dancers. Kathryn is a wonder. Her legs and feet. She really did get the entire look and feel of that dance. And Nathan was actually enjoyable and likeable. He reminded me of a time when I lived for him and his lovely technique. They had chemistry (Shut it, Nigel) and they had character and they had charisma. That dance had it all.
Noelle Solo (Every Time It Rains/Charlotte March) – Competition crap. And she went for the penche turn that Shawna nailed on her season and tried to come out of it directly into an aerial and almost busted her ass in the process. Feh.
Ellenore/Jakob/Quickstep/Tony And Melanie (Missed the music) – Best Quickstep ever on this show. By a country mile. Kittens, Ellenore and Jakob just shut it down. The carriage was there. The footwork was there. Their posture in closed hold was impeccable. And those side by side jetes? Toma! And then they started tapping. Those two can tap, or at least comfortably fake it. Who knew? Is there anything that those two don’t do? Tony and Melanie really did give them a highly technically demanding routine and I never worried for a second that they wouldn’t pull it off. They just ruled that dance floor. Can they just dance together for the rest of the show? Because that? Was the best Quickstep ever on this show. Ever. Kiss of death my ass. That’s how it’s done, darlings.
Ryan Solo (Rock You Like a Hurricane/Scorpions) – Wow. That was painfully bad. It was James “Just felt like doin’ a little Paso” level bad. The use of Scorpions should have been a tip off, I suppose. I guess he didn’t fall off the stage, though. That’s something, right? Pray for him, family. He’s gonna need it.
Kathryn Solo (Beautiful/Bethany Dillon) – I am a Kathryn fan, y’all. Who knew? I hated this solo and found it only a cut above standard hair flinging nightmare territory (and that only because of her lovely control) but I love her, so it’s all good.
Mollee/Russell/Lyrical Jazz/Mandy Moore (It Must’ve Been Love/Roxette) – Mandy needs to step away from the I Love the 80’s CD immediately. Kiddies, I don’t care what the judges were pushing, this routine sucked tremendous amounts of ass. I kept waiting for them to actually start dancing. For minutes on end, they just seemed to be walking around the stage in their white PJs. And then all of a sudden, Russell would pick Mollee up and fling her around for a few seconds and then they’d go back to randomly wandering around. With a turn sequence thrown in just for shits and giggles. And dear lord, the Tween Terror cannot partner at all. Poor Russell. It was like he was trying to lift a bag of wet cement. Young lady, learn how to hold your own weight in a lift. You can’t just lay there while the gentleman does all of the work. This will prove true for other things as well in life, as you’ll find out later on. Or maybe sooner if you keep rubbing on Russell’s stomach like that. At any rate, this was bad.
Nathan Solo (Golden Train/Joshua Nozuka) – He did some beautiful work in that solo. That’s the most grounded I’ve seen him since his very first audition in S5. And I bought the emotion afterwards because he’s been sucking like a Hoover on the show and he finally, finally had himself a very good night. Am I getting soft, kittens? Nah. I still hated the cargo shorts.
5, 6, 7, Again
Noelle/Ryan/Smooth Waltz/JT and Thomas (Jeaux d’Eau/missed the artist) – Snooze. Noodles I was bored. Again. Some more. I mean, it was pretty enough, no? Ryan did show off his lovely carriage. I’ll even co-sign Nigel’s comments about the openness through the chest. He did a fine job showcasing Noelle. And I suppose Mary was right that Noelle displayed some lovely lines at times. But it was all just so . . . blah. There’s no there there.
Ellenore Solo (Beatbox Harmonica/Yuri Lane) – She’s a wonder. So rhythmical. So interesting. She’s quirky. She’s beautiful. She’s quirkiful. I am all about it, kittens.
Ashleigh/Legacy/Hip Hop/Dave Scott (Slow Down/Bobby Valentino) – Really, crack hos? Really? I see someone saw Twilight over the Thanksgiving weekend. Good lord. Poor Legacy and FP couldn’t have done much with even the best of routines in those ridiculous get ups. And of course, they didn’t have the best of routines to work with. Dave Scott is so hit or miss. And this, kiddies, was clearly a miss. That said, FP still came to put in work. She turned it out as much as it could be turned. I really thought FP had a great night with some not so great routines, which is a shame for her because I really think she’s in danger of going home this week on what was arguably her best pair dance night.
Kathryn/Nathan/Rhumba/Tony and Melanie (Walk on By/Aretha Franklin) – I think I may just really be in love with Kathryn, noodles, because I just loved this dance. I thought Kathryn oozed sensuality. Her legs were incredible. She made lovely shapes with her hips and shoulders. She had good snap in her legs and pretty feet. And Nathan wasn’t terrible. He wasn’t great, but he framed her well on most of the moves and he had some decent hip action himself. I’ll agree that the dance could’ve stood more ballroom content, but as with other routines tonight, what they were asked to do, Kathryn and Nathan did very, very well. And Kathryn is just magic, darlings. She even got me to like Nathan again and want to see him stick around next week. Float on, high talker.
Legacy Solo (No Air/Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown) – I wish somebody had pulled Legacy’s coat and told him to steer clear of this song. Josh/Katee own it lock, stock and barrel. That said, the solo was solid with lots of spectacular moves that didn’t even really match the song choice, so what was the point of choosing this song again? Exactly.
Ellenore/Jakob/Jazz/Sonya (Tore My Heart/OONA & Dave Tweedle) – I couldn’t love any of this trio more than I do at this moment. I have no words to describe how much I adored this piece. The choreography was interesting with a very unusual movement vocabulary. The dancers were so musical. And the technique on these two is just beyond belief. Ellenore has amazing core strength. Some of those freezes are just impossible. And I’ve never seen a man with Jakob’s extension. And control. Damn! Seriously, kiddies, can they just stay together for the duration of this season? Because that would be lovely.
Ashleigh Solo (Batucada Por Favor/Bob Azzam) – Oh, FP. And you’d been doing so well. It’s hard out here for a ballroom dancer. Gorgeous costume, though. It pulled attention from her broke down face.
Mollee/Russell/Jive/Anya and Pasha (Land of 1000 Dances/James Brown) – Anya and Pasha! Hell yeah. And they are such smart choreographers. Darlings, that was genius, what they did. Lots of solo work in that piece. Lots of side by side dancing. Very little dancing in hold. And they let the Tween Terror play to the cute side, not to the sexy. The result? A winner of a routine for Mollee and Russell. They were cuter than a basket full of kittens and puppies. The routine was fun and well danced. They connected like two friends in a Gidget movie and closed the show with verve and enthusiasm. If that is your last impression of them for the night, you’d vote for them is what I’m saying. Which is what you want on a night like tonight, no?
Jakob Solo (Always Midnight/Pat Monahan) – He was stupid good. This kid was just born to dance.
You’re the Tops
Jakob, Ellenore, Russell, Kathryn. Bless.
You’re No Good, You’re No Good, You’re No Good
I think Mollee, Noelle, and FP are locks for the girl’s B3. The boys are more difficult. Ryan is the only one I feel fairly confident saying is in some danger. I don’t think I’d be too far out on a limb saying that Legacy will probably join him. The choreography kind of let him down tonight and he didn’t connect with FP in nearly the same way as he did with Kathryn. That last spot is gonna be either Russell or Nathan. I’d be shocked to see Jakob go down. Since I put Russell in my tops, kittens, I suppose I should say Nathan here to round out B3. But honestly, he had a really good night and he cried, so I’m gonna completely contradict myself and go with Russell for your final B3 boy. I know! It’s after midnight and blogger’s gone wild.
Baby, You’re No Good
I would love to see the Tween Terror bite the dust, but I just don’t see it happening, noodles. I think her BFF, Noelle, may have danced her last instead. FP picked up a ton of steam being paired with Jakob all those weeks, but this will be a true test of how much he was carrying her along the way. She could go, but I think she’ll scrape by one more week and Ms. Personality Minus will get the boot.
For your gentleman, I’m banking on Ryan. (And there’s another reason I feel FP is not going anywhere. Simon Fuller does not want the backlash from booting both halves of the husband/wife team the same week) If not Ryan, then maybe Legacy will be on the chopping block.
And that’s the way I see it, kittens. But who knows what America will do now that you’ve got your grubby little hands on the controls.
Clip Free Zone
No rehearsal clips. I think I just died and went to SYTYCD heaven. And cute parents by the barrel full. Even FPs mom and her truly tragique hair gave us something to love. And I’m not talking about the Bumpit she was sporting. So much love for the parents. Especially Jakob’s poor, confused, sports obsessed dad. Look at him now, y’all. He loves his live, gay son! Russell’s dad, Ellenore’s mom (moved to NYC, what?), Legacy’s dad groovin’ in the audience and embarrassing him all to hell. Parents are love, family. Go call yours. Well, finish reading this first and then go call yours.
And Now, We Dance
Noelle/Ryan/Hip Hop/NappyTab (Give It To Me Right/Melanie Fiona) – Well, it wasn’t hip hop, but we knew that, right? NappyTab tried to get all Mandy Table Dance on us with the business at the desk, but then it all devolved into some left over No Air/Bleeding Love nonsense. They are still trying to re-capture that lightning in a bottle, but all of their tricks are so tired. Noelle was good here, better than Ryan. But Ryan was yards better in this hip hop than he had been during his first attempt. The white clad, skiing thieves fiasco. Ptui. Let us never speak of it again. But this? Well, it was OK. The whole dance was kind of content free. And these two weren’t terrible. They weren’t terrific, either. That will be a theme with them. Take note. Hip hop on SYTYCD continues to be the big loser. I’ve never missed Shane more.
Ashleigh/Legacy/Contemporary/Gary Stewart (Missed the song name/Prodigy) – Kiddies, I confess. I did not get it. At all. I’m normally down to go wherever the choreographers want to take me, especially if they push a challenge on the audience and force them to wake up from their competition coma, but this piece just did nothing for me. I think it was technically demanding. It was aggressive and aerobic. It required a lot of attack from the dancers and there were some challenging technical pieces. A couple of nice turn sequences from them both. Lots of lifts and throws. And can we deal with the fact that Fug Princess was serving tonight? Noodles, she destroyed this piece. Aggressive and strong with a display of some surprisingly solid technique. Legacy held his own and got the best move of the dance with the ending headstand. And yet, I didn’t like it. It just kind of unfolded without grabbing me in any way. Eh. I’d still like to see more from this Gary Stewart. He’s definitely a new POV on the show. I’m just not sure I got it. Nix that, noodles. I’m quite sure I didn’t get it. I’m intrigued, though.
Mollee Solo (Rock the Beat/LMFAO) – I hate the Tween Terror and her flipping, flopping, competition dancer ass. That’s all.
Russell Solo (Black Milk/Outkast) – Amazing. There are no words. As much as I hate Mollee, that’s how much I love Russell. Kid is a star.
Kathryn/Nathan/Broadway/Spencer Liff (Choreography/Danny Kaye) – Spencer Liff is my Broadway god. Kittens, how can they ever, ever let Tasty do broadway again on this show now that we’ve seen what it can and should look like? That, darlings, was marvelous work by both choreographer and dancers. Kathryn is a wonder. Her legs and feet. She really did get the entire look and feel of that dance. And Nathan was actually enjoyable and likeable. He reminded me of a time when I lived for him and his lovely technique. They had chemistry (Shut it, Nigel) and they had character and they had charisma. That dance had it all.
Noelle Solo (Every Time It Rains/Charlotte March) – Competition crap. And she went for the penche turn that Shawna nailed on her season and tried to come out of it directly into an aerial and almost busted her ass in the process. Feh.
Ellenore/Jakob/Quickstep/Tony And Melanie (Missed the music) – Best Quickstep ever on this show. By a country mile. Kittens, Ellenore and Jakob just shut it down. The carriage was there. The footwork was there. Their posture in closed hold was impeccable. And those side by side jetes? Toma! And then they started tapping. Those two can tap, or at least comfortably fake it. Who knew? Is there anything that those two don’t do? Tony and Melanie really did give them a highly technically demanding routine and I never worried for a second that they wouldn’t pull it off. They just ruled that dance floor. Can they just dance together for the rest of the show? Because that? Was the best Quickstep ever on this show. Ever. Kiss of death my ass. That’s how it’s done, darlings.
Ryan Solo (Rock You Like a Hurricane/Scorpions) – Wow. That was painfully bad. It was James “Just felt like doin’ a little Paso” level bad. The use of Scorpions should have been a tip off, I suppose. I guess he didn’t fall off the stage, though. That’s something, right? Pray for him, family. He’s gonna need it.
Kathryn Solo (Beautiful/Bethany Dillon) – I am a Kathryn fan, y’all. Who knew? I hated this solo and found it only a cut above standard hair flinging nightmare territory (and that only because of her lovely control) but I love her, so it’s all good.
Mollee/Russell/Lyrical Jazz/Mandy Moore (It Must’ve Been Love/Roxette) – Mandy needs to step away from the I Love the 80’s CD immediately. Kiddies, I don’t care what the judges were pushing, this routine sucked tremendous amounts of ass. I kept waiting for them to actually start dancing. For minutes on end, they just seemed to be walking around the stage in their white PJs. And then all of a sudden, Russell would pick Mollee up and fling her around for a few seconds and then they’d go back to randomly wandering around. With a turn sequence thrown in just for shits and giggles. And dear lord, the Tween Terror cannot partner at all. Poor Russell. It was like he was trying to lift a bag of wet cement. Young lady, learn how to hold your own weight in a lift. You can’t just lay there while the gentleman does all of the work. This will prove true for other things as well in life, as you’ll find out later on. Or maybe sooner if you keep rubbing on Russell’s stomach like that. At any rate, this was bad.
Nathan Solo (Golden Train/Joshua Nozuka) – He did some beautiful work in that solo. That’s the most grounded I’ve seen him since his very first audition in S5. And I bought the emotion afterwards because he’s been sucking like a Hoover on the show and he finally, finally had himself a very good night. Am I getting soft, kittens? Nah. I still hated the cargo shorts.
5, 6, 7, Again
Noelle/Ryan/Smooth Waltz/JT and Thomas (Jeaux d’Eau/missed the artist) – Snooze. Noodles I was bored. Again. Some more. I mean, it was pretty enough, no? Ryan did show off his lovely carriage. I’ll even co-sign Nigel’s comments about the openness through the chest. He did a fine job showcasing Noelle. And I suppose Mary was right that Noelle displayed some lovely lines at times. But it was all just so . . . blah. There’s no there there.
Ellenore Solo (Beatbox Harmonica/Yuri Lane) – She’s a wonder. So rhythmical. So interesting. She’s quirky. She’s beautiful. She’s quirkiful. I am all about it, kittens.
Ashleigh/Legacy/Hip Hop/Dave Scott (Slow Down/Bobby Valentino) – Really, crack hos? Really? I see someone saw Twilight over the Thanksgiving weekend. Good lord. Poor Legacy and FP couldn’t have done much with even the best of routines in those ridiculous get ups. And of course, they didn’t have the best of routines to work with. Dave Scott is so hit or miss. And this, kiddies, was clearly a miss. That said, FP still came to put in work. She turned it out as much as it could be turned. I really thought FP had a great night with some not so great routines, which is a shame for her because I really think she’s in danger of going home this week on what was arguably her best pair dance night.
Kathryn/Nathan/Rhumba/Tony and Melanie (Walk on By/Aretha Franklin) – I think I may just really be in love with Kathryn, noodles, because I just loved this dance. I thought Kathryn oozed sensuality. Her legs were incredible. She made lovely shapes with her hips and shoulders. She had good snap in her legs and pretty feet. And Nathan wasn’t terrible. He wasn’t great, but he framed her well on most of the moves and he had some decent hip action himself. I’ll agree that the dance could’ve stood more ballroom content, but as with other routines tonight, what they were asked to do, Kathryn and Nathan did very, very well. And Kathryn is just magic, darlings. She even got me to like Nathan again and want to see him stick around next week. Float on, high talker.
Legacy Solo (No Air/Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown) – I wish somebody had pulled Legacy’s coat and told him to steer clear of this song. Josh/Katee own it lock, stock and barrel. That said, the solo was solid with lots of spectacular moves that didn’t even really match the song choice, so what was the point of choosing this song again? Exactly.
Ellenore/Jakob/Jazz/Sonya (Tore My Heart/OONA & Dave Tweedle) – I couldn’t love any of this trio more than I do at this moment. I have no words to describe how much I adored this piece. The choreography was interesting with a very unusual movement vocabulary. The dancers were so musical. And the technique on these two is just beyond belief. Ellenore has amazing core strength. Some of those freezes are just impossible. And I’ve never seen a man with Jakob’s extension. And control. Damn! Seriously, kiddies, can they just stay together for the duration of this season? Because that would be lovely.
Ashleigh Solo (Batucada Por Favor/Bob Azzam) – Oh, FP. And you’d been doing so well. It’s hard out here for a ballroom dancer. Gorgeous costume, though. It pulled attention from her broke down face.
Mollee/Russell/Jive/Anya and Pasha (Land of 1000 Dances/James Brown) – Anya and Pasha! Hell yeah. And they are such smart choreographers. Darlings, that was genius, what they did. Lots of solo work in that piece. Lots of side by side dancing. Very little dancing in hold. And they let the Tween Terror play to the cute side, not to the sexy. The result? A winner of a routine for Mollee and Russell. They were cuter than a basket full of kittens and puppies. The routine was fun and well danced. They connected like two friends in a Gidget movie and closed the show with verve and enthusiasm. If that is your last impression of them for the night, you’d vote for them is what I’m saying. Which is what you want on a night like tonight, no?
Jakob Solo (Always Midnight/Pat Monahan) – He was stupid good. This kid was just born to dance.
You’re the Tops
Jakob, Ellenore, Russell, Kathryn. Bless.
You’re No Good, You’re No Good, You’re No Good
I think Mollee, Noelle, and FP are locks for the girl’s B3. The boys are more difficult. Ryan is the only one I feel fairly confident saying is in some danger. I don’t think I’d be too far out on a limb saying that Legacy will probably join him. The choreography kind of let him down tonight and he didn’t connect with FP in nearly the same way as he did with Kathryn. That last spot is gonna be either Russell or Nathan. I’d be shocked to see Jakob go down. Since I put Russell in my tops, kittens, I suppose I should say Nathan here to round out B3. But honestly, he had a really good night and he cried, so I’m gonna completely contradict myself and go with Russell for your final B3 boy. I know! It’s after midnight and blogger’s gone wild.
Baby, You’re No Good
I would love to see the Tween Terror bite the dust, but I just don’t see it happening, noodles. I think her BFF, Noelle, may have danced her last instead. FP picked up a ton of steam being paired with Jakob all those weeks, but this will be a true test of how much he was carrying her along the way. She could go, but I think she’ll scrape by one more week and Ms. Personality Minus will get the boot.
For your gentleman, I’m banking on Ryan. (And there’s another reason I feel FP is not going anywhere. Simon Fuller does not want the backlash from booting both halves of the husband/wife team the same week) If not Ryan, then maybe Legacy will be on the chopping block.
And that’s the way I see it, kittens. But who knows what America will do now that you’ve got your grubby little hands on the controls.
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