"So You Think You Can Dance": Disco, b-boys and Tahitian dance, oh my!

As Nigel Lythgoe noted halfway through Wednesday night’s episode, it was one of the more diverse installments of “So You Think You Can Dance,” and the slight changes of scenery paid off, despite the drama that last week brought.

I was very happy with the way the show kicked off, as Lauren and Mark performed the series’ first Tahitian dance. I thought it was a great style for Lauren, playful yet sensual (plus I loved the feathered costume.  She played “Day” and at certain points she actually looked like the sun). I think Mark was a little more committed to character and chemistry than she was but I don’t know if it was the type of dance where a lot of intense looks were very necessary.  It looked like a lot of fun, the kind of dance I would love to learn.

Next Adechike performed a “competitive” salsa with Anya.  While I don’t think it was the super triumphant return from last week that would have been very satisfying to see, Adechike still took what the judges described as “hard-ass” choreography and made it look not-that-hard, so while Mia Michaels didn’t think it was perfect (with which Anya agreed), she still gave him props for pulling it off. I, meanwhile, would like to have muscles like Anya, who spent a good deal of the dance bent over backwards, parallel to the floor.

Jose then performed a Joey Dowling Broadway routine to “Mister Cellophane” with Courtney. I loved seeing Jose play a sad sack and I thought he utilized his grace during the dance, but my complaint with the performance is that he didn’t actually seem to dance with Courtney at all. Yes, it was about a man pining after a woman who doesn’t know he’s alive but they had hardly any interaction during the performance. Nigel felt that the problem wasn’t in the choreography, but that if Jose’s personality wasn’t allowed to shine, his dancing looked extremely weak in comparison. I wonder what Nigel meant regarding the “mistake” the judges made in regards to him.

Travis Wall rarely disappoints and he choreographed a beautiful performance for Robert and Allison as they played an adult son and his ailing mother, based on Travis’ own experiences. There were so many great moments in the dance, including the part where Allison jumped up and Robert ran up from behind her to catch her, and when he lifted her onto her toes at the end.  I have to admit I was watching Allison a little bit more closely than Robert but it was a wonderful dance.  Nigel complimented Robert’s performance and opined that it would be one of the most memorable dances on the history of the show.

The judges kept up the positive feedback with Billy, who danced a jive with Anya.  While during rehearsals he had worried about getting the chemistry right with his partner, that didn’t seem to be a problem during the performance, where Billy seemed way more confident, even naughty than he has most of the season.  Nigel mentioned that in terms of actual dancing, Billy could have held back a tiny bit, but overall it was nice to see Billy in charge.  In case you were wondering whether Nigel mentioned soccer in tonight’s episode, by the way, he did here (in re: Billy’s kicks) even though the World Cup is over.

I have to say I failed to connect with Tyce Diorio’s baseball-themed Broadway dance for Neal and Kent. I can’t put my finger on any specific reason why it wasn’t my favorite, but I can’t deny the judges’ input that the dancing was strong, Kent made his gymnastic tricks seem effortless and that he has a lot of potential as a Broadway dancer.

I did enjoy Billy and Lauren’s second dance, a super-cute Mandy Moore jazz routine to “Boogie Shoes.”  It was youthful and fun; perhaps it wasn’t the most meaningful dance ever, probably, but who cares? The judges loved it as well, and Adam proclaimed that Lauren posed significant competition to the guys (without Ashley around, she’s the only girl!)

Jose redeemed himself after “Mister Cellophane” with a NappyTabs b’boy routine featuring Dominic. You could tell from the first move that it was going to be a fun dance, and that the choreographers had a great time letting the guys do their thing. I couldn’t tell what I liked best, the stuff that was closest to the floor, the more hard-hitting moves or the tricks and lifts at the end. The judges were happy to see Jose in his element, not just style-wise but with confidence too.

I thought Kent and Adechike then both had one of their best performances of the season with a Dee Caspary contemporary dance about a guy who tries to save his friend from a toxic relationship. I had gotten the impression from the rehearsal footage that the dance would be rather lighthearted, but that wasn’t the case at all. It was sad and elegant, and Adechike especially was simply beautiful in his dancing and performance. My favorite move was when Adechike tilted one chair to the side and Kent, sitting in a chair behind him, fell off his. Nigel praised the dance and complimented Kent for underplaying the performance. Mia echoed my thoughts that she had hoped that this would be a good week for Adechike, and that it indeed was.

We closed with a disco routine featuring Robert and Kathryn. I would have loved to see what Robert’s original partner, Ashley, would have done with the dance, but as I alluded to earlier today, she was out with a rib injury (and thus in the bottom three tomorrow).  The dance looked really tough, and I enjoyed some of the moves but I had to agree with Mia that Robert seemed to lack a little authority in his performance, the sort of weight and snap that Ryan De Lillo had last season.

As Nigel noted, it’s a hard night to pick who will or should go home tomorrow night. I could only make uneducated guesses at this point: who do you think should (if not will) be eliminated?

--Claire Zulkey

Nigel Lythgoe (L), Mia Michaels and Adam Shankman. Cr: Mathieu Young/FOX

Comments

[mj cole]

Robert. Breathtaking.

[Mark]

Where is Mary? Mia sucks! It is evident that she can't stand Adachike. Even when she finally complimented him it was though she finally found some way that she could muster a smile while speaking his name. I want one of those guys that she is so unashamedly biased toward to go home. Like Robert or Billy, who by SYTYCD standards, are alreay professionals.

[John H. Fleming]

What a thoroughly enjoyable show with exceptional choreography! Each of the remaining contestants is a joy to watch. The pairing of males, as Nigel said, brought out an exceptional combination of superior athleticism and superior dancing. The cut tonight - and the remainder of the season - will be tough. I'm not sure Jose redeemed himself to get a pass.

Like Mark, I was and am confused about the criteria for contestants. Robert and Billy (along with Alex) are already professionals.

[David]

There's something about this season that feels perilously close to running off the rails.

Alex's competition-ending injury creates a feeling that it's now a contest of the B-Teamers. Allison is absent (for now). Then we have the almost obligatory, eye-welling moment of a choreographer's very special personal torment leading to the inevitable pronouncements of best this and greatest that, and everyone cries when they're supposed to. And it's hard to not feel like the producers are staying just one step ahead of chaos, what with the lop-sided male/female ratios (which has actually resulted in more interesting same-sex partnering), the all-star shuffling and random drawings, etc., etc...

Anyway, not sure why, but there's something about this season. Perhaps because it often feels as though they're making up the rules as they go, which just ends up making the audience feel adrift.

[Grace]

Shouldn't the fact that there have been so many injuries now to highly trained dancers be a red flag of some sort? These aren't random people suddenly doing crazy routines, Alex bordered on professional already before he auditioned so I'm sure he knew how to take care of his body. I realize injuries are bound to happen, but this many in less than two weeks? Maybe two routines starting with the final 8 is pushing it too hard? I know they have to fill the 120(!!) minutes with something, but for me all these injuries are disturbing, and if Ashley goes home because of her injury, the whole "reality vote" thing (as much as I have conflicted feelings toward that too) won't be a factor anymore, and it will be "who doesn't get injured".

That being said, Nigel said what everyone else thinks and maybe knows... that with Alex gone, Kent is a likely winner. For me, he's a little immature, but still a great dancer. I like everyone who is still there, but it's true that the judges are incapabale of hating Jose and for Mia to fully support Adechike without the use of backhanded compliments. Personally, with Alex gone, Billy might be my favorite, but it doesn't seem to be the overall consensus...

[Mathew]

The amount of injuries is concering me a bit too. Yes a good performan is important, but still have to be careful.

Also I LOVED the b-boy performance. That's probably the first time I saw breaking (not popping) where I really thought the whole thing was actual dance, and NOT just a bunch of tricks. IMO nappy taps have really come into their own this season. Some of their prior seasons dances have been a bit light IMO (too much lyrical hip hop, not enough hitting etc) but now they are rocking.

For me next people I would see go are Billy (I've just never really connected with him even though he has very nice solo's ) and Jose (good b-boy, but falls short other places, kind of like Phillip).

I would like to see Kent, Lauren, and maybe Robert in the final three, with Kent winning. He's a VERY good dancer (so smooth) plus great personality etc. Also a big fan of Lauren. She impresses me week after week.

[gerritv]

First off: It's time to break 'Show Tracker' into two captions, one for news and the other for reviews. These recaps keep getter harder to find.

I feel José was the weakest dancer, or non-dancer, as he has been all season. Mr Cellophane didn't have him doing that much except putting on an Emmit Kelly face and in his routine with Dominic, where he was dancing his specialty, he was out-danced by Dominic. His movements were too slow, his timing was off and I've seen 3rd graders perform better windmills in the schoolyard.

No matter how elegantly Robert dances, I can't get past his smarmy mugging. His exit from the show can't happen too soon for me.

Also, I think Andrew is the saboteur, Kathy and Britney are Mother/Daughter and Annie will be voted out tonight.

[johnnie b. baker]

i agree with david. this season is turning into a train wreck. for many reasons, the big one being that ale was so obvious the best. but it started with the failed ratings of a fall season and the subsequent "all-star" changes.

[Fabrisse]

Jose was outdanced by Dom in the B-Boy routine.

And if I never see a dramatic cancer-themed dance again, it will be too soon.