'Dancing With The Stars' Season 14 Dream Casting
What To Watch On TV This Week
So You Think You Can Dance: Top 6 Perform
by Jason Hughes, posted Jul 31st 2008 9:21AM
(S04E20) I think by the twentieth episode of American Idol we were just getting to "Hollywood Week." But here on SYTYCD we're on the cusp of the "Final Four!" Last week, we lost Will and Comfort. Comfort was due, but I really think Mark should have been the one to go on the guy's side. But I can understand Will. Like Katee for the girls, he was the most technically proficient of the guys, but he just didn't connect with the audience in the ways that the other guys do. He didn't come across as aloof to me, but neither was he particularly charismatic.It was nice to see Cat return to form with an absolutely hideous outfit. She looked positively lovely last week in classy dresses that fit her well. This week she wore a sparkly garbage bag cinched at the waist with shower poofs attached to the heels of her ... heels. Adam Shankman came back to the judging panel this week and was a little late to the praising the choreographers schtick they're doing this year. He got with the program with Tyce DiOrio and the flow of choreographer love continued unabated throughout the night.
THE PERFORMANCES (COUPLES)
Courtney & Mark
--(Viennese Waltz w/ Jason Gilkison - "The Time of My Life," David Cook) For the third week in a row, Courtney drew first dance, this time partnering with the quirky Mark. I'm not sure why the rehearsal video we saw focused so much on him touching her boob. I'd figure there's a lot of accidental touching of all sorts of parts on both parts when trying to learn these dances. It happens. I'm going to give them props though for what I thought was an excellent top six worthy performance. Mark redeemed his presence on the stage and Courtney was just elegant and stunning. The emotional connection was real and those lifts were just gorgeous.
--(Jazz w/ Sonja Tayeh - "The Garden," Mirah) This routine was to jazz what The Phantom of the Opera is to musicals. It was a rock and roll hybrid and I absolutely loved the attitude of it. This is the best Sonya has done on the show. It wasn't as heavy on technique as I would have liked but it was a great and powerful performance from the both of them. Mark was in his quirky element and Courtney entered that world as if she'd been born there.
Katee & Joshua
--(Contemporary w/ Tyce DiOrio - "All By Myself," Celine Dion) The king of lifts was reunited with the most beautifuly gifted dancer on the show and the result was just as magical as I expected. This is a union that I could watch night after night as their connection, grace, power and beauty is just beyond description. Joshua is a revelation on this show and keeps blowing me away week after week. Katee is the shiznit. What more can I say?
--(Paso Doble w/ Jason Gilkison - There Was a Thunderstorm In My Area So I Only Know This Was From A Soundtrack) Well, Joshua is definitely strong enough to be the commanding male lead of this dance style, and he performed it just astoundingly. He was so fierce and strong, he just tore the stage up. They both managed the technical footwork demanded and just blew me away. Joshua has no technical training? Crazy!
Chelsie & Twitch
--(Mambo w/ Tony Meredith & Melanie LaPatin - "Ahora Me Toca A Mi," Victor Manuelle) Chelsie was as sultry and hot on this as I expected, seeing as how this is her strength. Twitch was able to keep up with her but looked a little heavier on his feet than I would have liked, and didn't come across as the leader of that dance by any means but it didn't matter because Chelsie was so flawless it didn't matter.
--(Hip-Hop w/ JTabitha & Napoleon Dumo - "Control," The Vitamin String Quartet) Okay, first of all it's a BATON. Not a stick! A BATON! Sorry, I played cello as many years as I danced and these things annoy me. A dance based on dueling conductors is pretty clever. These two just stole the night with this one. It was so much fun and so well danced I was pretty well in love with their struggle throughout. The acting required to sell that dance was no struggle for these two dancers. What a great night of partnering.
THE PERFORMANCES (SOLOS)
- Chelsea ("When I Grow Up," Pussycat Dolls) I would have liked to see a little more creativity and dancing outside of swiveling those hips, though she did it well. She's a great partner, but other partner dancers have found ways to express more dance in their solos than she did tonight.
- Twitch ("Midas Touch," Midnight Star) Wow does this guy know how to entertain. He had gold shoes, grill and frames to go with the lyric and was quirky, fun and still just mesmerizing to watch as he moved across the dance floor. Just an amazing hip-hop soloist.
- Katee ("Can't Stop," Maroon 5) I hate to say it but while her movements were beautiful, her transitions between "tricks" were a little stilted for me this week. Still, Katee is the broad to beat on the female side.
- Joshua ("Like That," Memphis Bleek) Joshua gave us more of a breaker hip-hop style this week, which was a great way to differentiate him from Twitch this week. He came across as incredibly strong with some amazing leaps across the stage and worked well with his music.
- Courtney ("Rock Your Soul," Elisa) She threw in some actual pirouettes in that routine and I was glad to see it. She choreographed herself well to the music and managed to make yet another contemporary solo at least a little interesting.
- Mark ("Bum Like You," Robyn) By ending the night's solos with Mark it reaffirmed to me that I'm pretty much ready for Mark to go. It wasn't bad but it wasn't as good as either of the other two guys either.
I can't even decide so I'm going to leave it up to you. How's that for a cop out? Voting begins... right after this next section. Plus, it gives me an idea of what kind of dance you all like. Let's call it science. Yeah! Science!
WORST OF THE NIGHT
There really and truly were no bad routines tonight, so I'm going to have to give it to Mark's solo. Sorry guy, but that just didn't work for me.
| Courtney & Mark's Viennese Waltz | |
|---|---|
| Katee & Joshua's Contemporary | |
| Chelsie & Twitch's Mambo | |
| Courtney & Mark's Jazz | |
| Katee & Joshua's Paso Doble | |
| Chelsie & Twitch's Hip-Hop |
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