Destination 'So You Think You Can Dance': An elimination like a punch in the gut

Looking back on the beginning of the night, I see no signs that something truly sinister was afoot.  When I picked up my press pass from will call, I heard no frantically barking dogs; when I handed my ticket to the usher, I felt not a tinge of Santa Anas.  And yet, a great atrocity was about to take place, right there in the "So You Think You Can Dance" studio.

Inside the studio, everything seemed normal as well.  I found my seat beside reporters from US Weekly and People Magazine, while Tommy the warm-up guy recruited girls from the audience to dance to Sir Mix-a-Lot.  Again.  Kaitlin and Kayla battled it out, impressing the audience with perfect turns and back flips.  "Shake your money maker" blared through the speakers next, and the baby-doll-dress-clad tweens complied. 

After money makers had been shaken, and candy distributed accordingly, Tommy the warm-up guy announced that we were 10 minutes from going live on the east coast.

The lights got low and fluorescent homemade signs glowed in the dark.  "Kherington Payne is insane!" raved one. 

After Comfort Fedoke and her backup dancers performed their opening number, things got serious.   

 

Joshua Allen and Katee Shean were safe, and Joshua gave a little kiss up to heaven when he heard the news.  The man upstairs must have been pretty busy tonight, since Joshua was far from the only dancer to call on Him.  Even the ever-cocky Comfort had crossed herself by the end of the night.

Susie Garcia and Marquis Cunningham were revealed to be in the bottom three, and that was no surprise.  Although Nigel Lythgoe disagreed when I talked to him after the show, I see Susie and Marquis as the unwitting victims of criminal pairing. She's a whole lot of woman and he seems very dainty to be leading her. A chance to "dance for their lives" solo seemed like a great opportunity for both dancers to show what they were made of.  "I hope they dance their hearts out today," announced Mary Murphy.

It was clear this week that the bonds between the dancers were stronger than ever.  When Courtney Galiano, Gev Manoukian, Chris Jarosz and Comfort all awaited their destiny, the foursome wished each other good luck.  A sign reading "we love Courtney and Gev" waved in the mosh pit.

From the moment that the bottom three couples are announced in the theater, everything speeds up.  After so much time killing from Tommy the warm-up guy, all of the sudden, time seems to fly. What? They're all gonna dance for their lives right this instant? But –- but –- they just found out they were in the bottom.  Give them a minute! But there isn’t a minute to give. Before they know it, the dancers are on stage, begging forgiveness for whatever shortcoming put them in the bottom three –- begging forgiveness in the form of dance.

The Snuggle bear danced at the bottom of the screen and a montage of horrific street dancers played while the six ill-fated contestants prepared to beg forgiveness.

Chelsea Traille knew she had much more to show, and her performance begged for a chance to show it.  The ever-joyful Thayne Jasperson looked joyful, even while dancing for his life.  When Cat Deeley commented on his pleasant demeanor, Thayne remarked that he just loves to dance.  His answer seemed at once so outlandish and so logical.  Outlandish, because he could be on the train back to Nowheresville, and logical, because at the end of the day, it's just a show.

Susie, however, did not share Thayne's joyful spirit. Her dance was, by all accounts, just OK.  It reminded me of one of the Shakira impersonators who came from the audience to dance for Tommy the warm-up guy last week. 

Susie's partner Marquis, however, was positively stunning. An angel got its wings during that minute of dancing, and a great many babies were conceived. During that minute of dancing, there were wails from the mosh pit, and gasps from the typically unflappable reporter section. Marquis had shown what it meant to dance for your life.   

"Chris and Susie," announced a particularly vocal "SYTYCD" prognosticator in the row behind me.  And at that moment, the ritual beheading of Chris and Susie seemed so imminent that predicting it seemed ridiculous.  "Chris and Susie," he announced.  "Duh," I replied inside.

While a pre-taped video of Flo Rida aired, Gev, Joshua and Twitch leapt onto the stage to shake their stuff.  Will joined them for a good-spirited dance-off and the playful foursome reminded us what Thayne had told us just moments before.  First and foremost, these people love to dance. Stage manager Debbie Williams watched them pop, shake and spin until just seconds before airtime, when she shooed them off the stage and back into the pit.  We were back.

Susie smiled and nodded as though she knew what was coming; then she began to look ill. Comfort crossed herself.  The three men came together for a group hug so loving and intense that they wrapped their legs around each other. 

"You can lose tonight, two of you," remarked Nigel, "but that doesn’t stop you being great dancers."  Nigel complimented Chris on his passion, and I was sure he was just softening the blow.   I was wrong. After stopping time with his 30 second dance routine, Marquis was sent home.  And that's when I did something I thought I'd never do.  I led my first "boo."  In an instant, the whole studio had joined me.  We booed loud and we booed long and we booed hard.  We booed for the people at home, who could not be heard.  And we booed for Marquis, who could not boo, but instead, was forced to take the high road. "Thank you," he said. "It's been a really awesome road, and I can't wait to keep going on it."

-- Stephanie Lysaght

Comments

[Dani]

Thank you for saying that. Marquis was robbed. I was looking forward to seeing him paired with Comfort.

[Sue B]

Thanks for the recap. I wish I could get to a show, but since I live in Boston... ;)

An AMEN! Marquis's ouster was a travesty. Something is seriously wrong with my beloved SYTYCD this year. :(

[Sue B]

Thanks for the recap. I wish I could get to a show, but since I live in Boston... ;)

An AMEN! Marquis's ouster was a travesty. Something is seriously wrong with my beloved SYTYCD this year. :(

[Eddie Barker]

Yeah, he shouldn't have been eliminated. I can't stand the judge in the middle. All of her obnoxious yelling and screaming. She's so annoying. I gained more respect for Nigel with that Kobe Bryant analogy. Lakers will be champs next year!

[fan]

No offense but you havent liked Chris since day one. He's phenomenal though!

[Bill Dean]

Marquis was arrogant and self-centered. He did not ever attempt to help his partner, look at her, show any emotion or chemistry. He should have never been in the top 20 in the first place. The contest got a whole lot better with the two of them gone!

[a new fan]

Marquis was robbed! Thanks for booing for us all. This is my first year watching SYTYCD and I'm pissed at their decison to send such an amazing talent home while keeping far less dynamic Chris. Also, what is with that Mary lady? Will someone please ouster her and put us all out of our misery! There are times when I seriously have to change the channel just to avoid listening to her obnoxiously loud voice and wierd comments. She sounds like a village idiot.

[Lydia Bailey]

Marquis was the best dancer ever on the show, and I cannot forgive the judges for voting him off. Last night was the last time I will watch SYTYCD, and I will be notifying all advertisers of the same. Lydia

[satisfaction guaranteed!]

Were the judges even WATCHING Marquis' performance?

[Blair Waldorff]

I can't believe Marquis got sent home. He shouldn't even be in the bottom 3! I'm sick of watching guys who imitate girls dance on tv. Susie totally sucks by the way, I'm suprised she even made it this far. The blind girl from the auditions is better.

[Gerrit]

I was very disappointed that they let another 'couple' go. I thought Chris's dance was extremely weak and thought Marquis dance was much stronger. At that point (en-pointe?), I was hoping Chris would go with Susie because I felt that Marquis and Comfort would be a stronger couple and each would elevate each other's game.

I am now worried that pathetically inferior Chris will be the cause of Comfort's departure next week. I honestly believe that Comfort is dialing down her performances, in the interest of good partnership, so that Chris doesn't appear so weak and they look consistent as partners.

So sad. . .

That said, go Katua - Joshkat - Joshua and Katee!

Also am enjoying America's Best Dance Crew. . .

[gPhunk]

I am so in love with ms. Lysaght's bloggggggz. Her whitty commentary make watching these horrid shows more enjoyable. I think I just watch them so I can keep up with the show tracker. If you had Lysaght cover politics, it might even make me go out and vote!!!!! hahaha

[dgz]

i think Chris is a terrible dancer with zero athleticism.
HOWEVER, i think they got rid of Marquis because they didn't want to put him with Comfort -- notice how they never put two black people together? (yes i know he's puerto rican). There are many, many ethnic performers in the show, but all of the couples feature one whitey. Why, i ask?

[Ken]

On tonight's, "So You Think You Can Dance" the judges sent Marquis Antione Cunningham home after a brilliant performance. His was clearly the strongest performance of any of the three dancers he was competing against. The criticism against him was absurd: "Too many tricks"? Too much movement? Mia Michaels craves for a dancer like Marquis Antione Cunningham. You can hear it when she criticizes other dancers and yet she blasted him. I believe Nigel Lythgel wishes he could ever do the "tricks that Marquis can do while dancing with such incredible execution.

The judges made a big mistake in cutting Marquis Antione Cunningham. Pure and simple. He was the best dancer on the show.

[Andy]

My wife and I were certain that it would be Chris to leave the show after seeing all of the solo dances. There were no ifs ands or buts about it, Marquis' performance was nothing short of stunning, exactly the kind of performance that should have been rewarded. We've been fans of this show since season 2, but episodes like yesterdays make us question the fairness and take away the enjoyment of watching it, and will likely lead to us skipping out next season if it keeps up.

[Kelly]

As as a dancer I loved how much passion Chris had in his solo. He does little technical things that the normal eye doesn't notice, but a dancer does.

No matter what Marquis dances, he always looks like a contemporary dancer when he does it. Just imagine Marquis crumping...I can't. I bet he wouldn't have done half as well as Chris did (which wasn't that wonderful I admit), but I bet Marquis would look like a contemporary dancer while doing it.

At least Chris can pull off the other dances looking as other than a contemporary dancer.