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So You Think You Can Dance: Week 8
(S03E20) Holy smokes. Call me crazy if you don't agree, but I'm calling this the best episode of the season. There hasn't been a standout number one performance every week, but there has always been something that didn't quite work, or didn't quite measure up to the rest. I didn't find that here. It would seem that the talk about the choreographers stepping things up wasn't just talk as all of them delivered great routines for the dancers to perform. The criticisms were few and far between this week, from me, and from the judges. That would be Nigel and Mary as usual, joined this week by Debbie Allen. After the jump, we'll get to all of the performances, and a rant about Fox scheduling.
Was I the only one surprised to see a 60 minute show this week? With all of the couples doing two performances, and everyone getting a solo, there was enough that they could have stretched it out another 30 minutes. Jamming it all into a one hour episode did make it all exciting. So, couples first, and then a bit about the solos.
Lacey and Pasha were paired up this week and kicked things off with hip hop and Dave Scott. This was a great opening number, with a lot of credit for that going to Scott. My expectations weren't that high upon hearing that Pasha and Lacey would be doing hip hop. Neither of them specialize in it, and the hip hop numbers lately have been kind of hit and miss. But Scott was very clever with his choreography. I thought the mannequin bit simplified things and was able to mask a lack of pure hip hop skills, and do it in a way that was so interesting that it wasn't immediately evident that he was doing it. Good stuff. The judges all liked it, with Debbie adding that they showed why they are still in the competition. Song - "In The Morning" by Junior Boys
For their second number they got the smooth waltz with Hunter Johnson. Like many of the other waltzes we have seen this season, this one will probably most often be described as beautiful. As it should. Pasha was great leading Lacey through the dance, and this was the first time that I really got the feeling that Lacey was in the moment of the dance, and not performing for the audience. It felt like she took those criticisms to heart last week and acted on them. The only bad thing I could say about this one was that getting into their lift was a bit wonky. But that was just a tiny little moment, and it was still a very impressive move. Again, the judges had nothing but praise with Mary calling it beautiful and dreamlike. Song - "A Daisy In December" by Mick McAuley and Winifred Horan
Lauren and Danny were the second couple and started their night with Mia Michaels and contemporary. The tin-foil hat conspiracy theorist in my head took notice at that. With Lauren being in the bottom two last week, a contemporary piece by Mia Michaels with Danny as a partner was about the best thing she could have hoped for to win over some voters. Whether or not the random draw was completely random or not doesn't take away from the performance though. And except for the last 30 seconds, this was amazing. The energy and the intricacy of the movement that Michaels designed was fascinating. I thought it all kind of went a little flat at the end when we watched them run around the stairs. It felt a bit gimmicky and I would have rather seen more of the performance on the stage. The judges didn't have a problem with the stairs as they all had nothing but the highest praise. Debbie said that Lauren and Danny were passion and perfection personified. Song - "Then You Look At Me" by Celine Dion
They followed that up with a Doriana Sanchez disco number. Where the waltz was beautiful, this disco was all kinds of fun. I got the feeling that it could have been a little smoother had Sanchez ratcheted the difficulty down a notch or two, but this is the top six we are talking about. While it makes for the occasional moment where you notice the technique, I do appreciate the challenge of what they were asked to do. It was another success. The judges were all on board with this one as well. Nigel highlighted just how impressed he was with the way they handled the difficulty of the choreography. Song - "Don't Leave Me This Way" by The Communards
Sabra and Neil were our third couple and they were off to see Mandy Moore for their opening jazz number. Hearing the idea in the rehearsal package, I thought it sounded kind of hokey. Things were much different when seeing the end result though. The table and the way that Moore used it in the choreography was so original that it was a treat to watch. It was so fast with so many little details that it really asks to be watched again. The plange, as Nigel pointed out, was a great moment in the perfect spot. More great comments from the judges with Nigel acknowledging how Neil has grown as a dancer, and the fact that Sabra dances from the heart. Song - "Sweet Dreams" by Eurythmics
The night finished up with their pasa doble, choreographed by Tony Meredith, who is making a serious play to be my favorite choreographer at this point. There have been some struggles with the pasa doble on the show, and this was the one I have been waiting for. Terrific choreography, and I thought they both did a good job with their characters in the dance. And what about that ending? You don't see that every day. It was certainly unorthodox, but it made me sit up and take notice. The judges also liked it. Nigel said that he now believes that either of them could win the whole thing. Song - "Espana Cani" by Juan and Gennaro
At this point in the competition, I've tired of the 30 second solo bits. I'd rather that they either give the dancers the time to do an entire performance, and put their full focus on it, or just do away with it. We've seen some of them a number of times now and they are starting to feel repetitive. For example, was there anything in Lauren or Neil's solos that surprised you or changed your thoughts on where you are ranking them? I could rank them, but it would have as much to do with my overall feel for the dancers as it would with what they actually did on the stage.
Taking those solos, and all of the pairs performances into account, I'm hard pressed to pick a favorite tonight. By the narrowest of margins, I'm going with Lacey and Pasha. Their hip hop number was very interesting, and the smooth waltz was my favorite of the night.
Finally, the results show won't be on until next Monday because of pre-season football. I'm not sure I get the thinking there. The House repeat they showed Tuesday couldn't be pre-empted to show the performance show, so we could have the results show on Wednesday? And if House is just too big to be moved, I say kick On The Lot around the schedule. Because when we get to summer reality season next year, one of those shows will be back, and there won't be any short movies being made.
| Lacey | |
|---|---|
| Pasha | |
| Lauren | |
| Danny | |
| Sabra | |
| Neil |
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