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« So You Think You Can Dance
Episode Recap: The Top Fourteen Dancers Perform
For like a millisecond I thought SYTYCD was taking a break this week. I think they did it last year and with Independence Day just around the corner, I thought that might be the case this week. Aren’t you glad this is on my season pass? Well, I don’t have TiVo but it’s on the equivalent of my season pass. And I’m also glad each pair got to dance two styles tonight. I always like it when they start mixing it up.
But before we get to our lovely couples, can I make some comments about Cat’s dress? You know I love her. Her hair: Gorgeous. Her makeup: Loved it. Her dress: boo. Actually, I take that back. It would have been perfect if those strange little bowties had been ripped off. Cat’s stylist, are you listening?
And now I’m ready to talk about the dancing:
Jessica and Will
First dance: The Jive choreographed by Tony Meredith & Melanie LaPatin
Tabitha & Napoleon (hereafter known as T&N): Great way to kick off tonight’s show. Feels the fight. From the 2nd lift on, they are bringing it to the next level.
Mary: There are some missed connections. Will gets the technique and action although Jessica isn’t quite there.
Nigel: Will has great bounce. Jessica’s weight is in the wrong place. Good opening.
I think these two have great energy. As always, Will is always there for his partner. The first lift isn’t pretty but as they continue dancing their connection gets much better. Overall I enjoy it. I still think Jessica is holding Will back.
Second dance: Lyrical Jazz choreographed by Mandy Moore
T&N: Some interesting (and appreciated comments) about Will’s physique from Tabitha. They think the choreography is clever. Will is amazing. Jessica is holding him down. Wasn’t there emotionally.
Mary: Talent is flame, genius is fire. That was fire. They are both showing passion. Outstanding. They are on the train.
Nigel: Fabulous. Tremendous. Jessica still needs to stop worrying and just dance. Everyone will be picking up the phone for them.
This is the stronger of their two pieces. I think the use of the shirt as a prop is clever and interesting. I feel the passion as they're dancing. Will, as always, is amazing. I think Jessica brings up her game for this piece but she still needs to step it up further.
Comfort and Thayne
First dance: Broadway choreographed by Andy Blankenbuehler (thanks angelus45)
T&N: A good match. Feeling the chemistry. Flirty-ness from Comfort is good. Likes it that Thayne is playing it cool.
Mary: Enjoys it. She’s so proud of Comfort. It could have been bigger but Comfort looks beautiful and Thayne is good.
Nigel: Praised it as being real legitimate Broadway choreography. Thinks aggression and passion isn’t there. Isn’t good enough. They would have been booed off the Broadway stage.
I’m going to have to agree with Nigel here. Although I enjoyed the piece I also wanted to see more energy, especially from Comfort. I didn’t see any big movements or exaggerated motions and that’s ok, I guess, for this style of dance. I was excited to see how these two would dance together after losing their partners last week and so far I’m a bit underwhelmed. Nigel warned them that they’d have to go big tonight or they’d be going home.
Second dance: Smooth Waltz choreographed by Edward Simon
T&N: Really enjoying it; sees a nice partnership. Napoleon isn’t crazy about Thayne.
Mary: Loves it. Could have more power, but wow. Comfort goes from a caterpillar to a butterfly tonight. Thayne is still hanging tough.
Nigel: Very pleased. Tremendous. Kept it smooth.
Not being anything close to an expert in this field, I rely on Mary. I did think this was a better dance for them. Their lines looked good. It was nice and smooth. That being said, I was just a bit bored. Sometimes ballroom is very hard on the dancers because if the audience doesn't get it, they're screwed. It’s not nearly as exciting as contemporary or hip-hop can be. I think they did a good job. I’m not blown away.
Kourtni and Matt
First dance: Hip-Hop choreographed by Olisa and Cecily
T&N: Good job. This isn’t an easy style of hip-hop. Matt surprises Tabitha but Napoleon thinks it isn’t good enough.
Mary: She just liked it. Isn’t feeling it.
Nigel: He didn’t know if it was the style, the choreography, or the dancers. He feels like they are dancing their routine on sleeping pills and they aren’t always together when they need to be.
I’m in total agreement. This is another couple that was warned last week. They aren’t showing me anything so far that will keep them out of the bottom three. They aren’t together enough and I feel like Kourtni especially is just going through the motions. Has she already given up? I’m sure it’s hard to be in the bottom every week, but that should make this couple fight even harder. And although Matt wasn’t exactly hitting it hard, he also surprises me tonight. He does better than I expect him to.
Second dance: Mambo choreographed by Alex Da Silva
T&N: Hot and cold on it. Movements aren’t big enough. Matt needs to get down into it. Wanted to see smoke.
Mary: Kourtni is smoking but they aren’t smoking together. Didn’t believe the chemistry. Also wants to see Matt get down into it more.
Nigel: They aren’t dancing fast enough. Matt isn’t butch or macho enough but they danced it well.
I think this is a bit of a disaster. They aren’t keeping up with the music and their movements aren’t crisp enough or defined enough for me. Yes, Alex’s choreography is extremely intricate and difficult but we’ve seen other couples dance his pieces well. To me it looks like they’re dancing in slow motion. I just didn’t love it.
Chelsie and Mark
First dance: Jazz choreographed by Mandy Moore
T&N: They’re able to tell a story as a couple. They have chemistry and perform well.
Mary: Loves it. This couple hasn’t taken a wrong turn. Chelsie is excelling and Mark gets a “wow.”
Nigel: It just works. The first couple to dance tonight that has a connection.
I love these two so much. I think their performance was a little Girls Just Want to Have Fun, and I mean that in the best possible way. Their connection is palpable. It’s a fun piece with great lifts. Big thumbs up from me. I enjoy their character pieces more, but I still think this is quite strong.
Second dance: Foxtrot choreographed by Edward Simon
T&N: They are a pleasure to watch. They look like they love to dance.
Mary: They pull it off. Elegant. Technique is good.
Nigel: Feels like Mark is a little uncomfortable. Wants to see Mark use his feet better. Chelsie is absolutely fabulous.
I again defer to Mary. In general, I like it. I think they both looked strong. I didn’t notice anything wrong with Mark’s footwork or carriage so he looked good to me. I didn’t love Chelsie’s dress – I would have preferred something a little more flowy (like what Comfort wore for her 2nd dance) as all those feathers are a bit distracting. Overall, another strong performance from these two.
Twitch and Kherington
First dance: Paso Doble choreographed by Tony & Melanie
T&N: The matador in Twitch comes out after a slow build. Thinks Kherington commands the cape.
Mary: Full of passion. Loves the beginning. Is entertained but thinks it’s just ok.
Nigel: Accuses Mary of coping out, which she admits to. Great choreography. Is also very entertained. Likes Kherington’s mean face although he’s not sure Twitch gives it his all.
I didn’t love it. The dismount from the opening lift seems awkward. I didn’t love the side-by-side cape action. I think once Twitch got into his character it did become stronger but I just wasn’t feeling it. I’ve liked other Paso Doble’s from seasons past better. I also felt like there should be a bit more footwork.
Second dance: Contemporary choreographed by Mia Michaels
T&N: Awesome times six. Twitch redeems himself. So many amazing moments.
Mary: Mia outdid herself. Powerful. Dynamic. Believable. Loves it.
Nigel: Believes it. Couldn’t stop watching them. They are in his top three couples. Mia amazes him; anyone who gets to work with her is lucky.
Is it ok if I call Mia a goddess? The use of the bed is kind of ingenious. The flowers were a bit much for me, but completely work for this piece. There is great emotion and pretty amazing technique from both of them. Loved, loved, loved it. This more than makes up for a somewhat lacking first performance (for me).
Katee and Joshua
First dance: Contemporary choreographed by Mia
T&N: Oh my God. Ridiculous. Loves it. They command the stage and own it. They’ve just got it. To echo Joshua’s words, it was so much more than dancing.
Mary: Makes her feel something. Katee is amazing.
Nigel: It takes complete faith in your partner to do what Katee does and concentration and strength to do what Joshua does. This proves that they are one of the couples who will make this season outstanding.
I loved, loved, loved it. I will admit to being just a bit nervous when the piece started. Since they weren’t moving very much I was afraid the judges would come down on them about technique. But after a somewhat quiet opening it was explosive and passionate. They have great chemistry and the lifts and use of the stage were pretty amazing. Although I feel like Joshua wasn’t quite keeping up with Katee, he is still impressive.
Second dance: West Coast Swing choreographed by Benji Schwimmer
T&N: Katie’s on fire. It’s a fun number. Enjoys it. Loves character. So happy they put Katie through in Vegas.
Mary: Executes it. Great routine.
Nigel: They both have the ability to adapt. Characters are different from their first piece and believable. Liked the hip bump.
I’m not sure anything can measure up to their first dance, but I did think this was fun. Considering that Benji is their choreographer I think I was expecting something really big but I like what we got. I would have liked a little more energy in the piece but overall I found it enjoyable.
Courtney and Gev
First dance: Hip-Hop choreographed by Olisa and Cecily
T&N: Gev isn’t keeping up; some of the hits are too bouncy. Feeling Courtney.
Mary: Feeling it 50/50. Expected a lot more from Gev and he isn’t hitting it hard enough.
Nigel: Fun. Funky. Didn’t sit comfortably with him. Courtney isn’t ghetto.
I also think Courtney is the stronger dancer of the two for this piece, which surprises me. This is Gev’s style although he admits to not being familiar with New York hip-hop. I still expect more from him. I think Courtney’s great. You don’t have to be ghetto to dance this style, Nigel. I like it but don’t love it.
Second dance: Broadway choreographed by Andy Blankenbuehler
T&N: Believes it although they want the characters to have followed the music better. Amazing. Gev is in it this time and may have found his niche.
Mary: Dynamic. Great. Strong. Believable.
Nigel: These two are the underdogs; they always manage to slip in under the radar. Wants Gev to open up more and wants Courtney’s round kicks to be stronger but overall it was good enough for Nigel.
You guys know that sometimes I’m not a huge fan of Broadway. They did a good enough job but I didn’t find their dancing to be very exciting. I think Gev is the stronger dancer for this number but I would have liked to see them dance to the music a little more as well. I enjoyed it but didn’t love it.
Who are my favorites? Katee & Joshua and Twitch & Kherington. I think Will & Jessica are great as well.
Who is in danger? Kourtni & Matt should start practicing their solos right now but I’m not sure it will save them from getting cut this week. They are great dancers but they haven’t stepped it up the way they needed to.
Comfort and Thayne should also start practicing. I liked them better tonight than Kourtni and Matt but as frequent visitors to the bottom three, I need to see both of them take their dancing to the next level. They need to show us they want to be here.
That third slot may go to Courtney and Gev. I’m not sure either performance tonight is strong enough for people to pick up the phone for them.
What did you think? I personally loved having each couple dance twice. Yes, it’s more writing for me but also much more enjoyment. And I think a few couples really redeemed themselves in their second dances so it’ll be interesting to see who ends up in the bottom.
As always, please share your thoughts below. I’ll see you back here tomorrow night.
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Jul 3, 2008 4:06 AM
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OK, here we go...
First of all, the judges tonight were for the most part, very nit-picky. Nigel, in particular seemed to have his knickers in a bunch tonight. Oh, and how can I forget the adorable Cat Deeley? Her dress is one of those things that would look hideous on a hanger but it looked so cute on her. I loved her hair which brought it all together too.
Now onto the show:
Jessica & Will:
-Jive: I’m definitely no expert in the jive, but I felt this was a fun dance that was performed well. Will as usual danced it better than Jessica but I thought she did ok. I didn’t catch the missed connections Mary pointed out.
-Lyrical Jazz: Wow! Very clever choreography and sexy too. It could’ve been hotter but Will looked gooood and this was Jessica’s best performed dance so far.
Comfort & Thayne:
-Broadway: First off, I have to say that I like these two together than with their old partners. It was cute, but I agreed with Mary when she said the moves should have been Bigger and more Showy.
-Smooth Waltz: I liked it. It had nice lifts and Comfort did look a lot softer and pretty tonight. Again, I felt the judges were trying to find something to complain about.
Kourtni & Matt:
-Hip-Hop: I loved the routine, but did not feel that it was performed well, especially Kourtni. It was not synchronized and not hard hitting where it needed to be. Very disappointing.
-Mambo: I did notice the choppy lift and stumble coming out of it. I think they did a decent job. I actually liked Matt better than Kourtni in this, but the judges felt the opposite. I do think they will be in the bottom 3 again.
Chelsie & Mark:
-Jazz: Not a fan of the choreography, but I felt that they both performed it very well. Mark is really impressing me.
-Foxtrot: Finally, a foxtrot that I really enjoyed. It was very lively with great choreography and they seemed to be enjoying themselves. In turn I enjoyed it too. I liked the new ballroom choreographer tonight.
Kherington & Twitch:
-Paso Doble: Very enjoyable and didn’t agree with the judges on this one. I liked it all…the choreography, the chemistry and the costumes (bonus points for Twitch’s abs).
-Contemporary: Love love loved it!!! I watched it 3 times. Again, danced very well, with passion and chemistry. They both fully committed to it and it worked. And another dance with a shirtless Twitch is definitely a good thing!
Katee & Joshua:
-Contemporary: A vintage Mia Michaels and it was executed brilliantly. I didn’t enjoy the slow start but once it got going, it was fantastic.
-West Coast Swing: I really liked the WC Swing that Benji choreographed last year much better. In fact, I didn’t really like this one very much the first time around (a little slow for my taste). However, I re-watched it a second time and liked it much better. Again, these two did not disappoint and are proving that they can do just about any type of dance.
Courtney & Gev:
-Hip-hop: Liked the choreography and they both performed it well. I think the Knicks City Dancer came out in Courtney and she did a little better than Gev in this one.
-Broadway: They performed much better than Comfort and Thayne. Much more lively and it looked like they were having fun. I felt that Gev outshone Courtney in this one (loved his little shimmy thing he did).
Bottom 3 Prediction:
1.) Kourtni & Matt
2.) Comfort & Thayne
3.) Jessica & Will (could be close with Courtney & Gev, but since they went first, I’m thinking it will be them).
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Jul 3, 2008 4:57 AM
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Cat's dress made her look like a penguin going to a cocktail party. Loved the hair, though.
Love Mark and Chelsie. Love EM. It's odd though, bc I sort of find her a bit obnoxious when she isn't dancing. But, love to watch them dance together.
My guess for a trip home this week is Kourtni and Matt. I really liked her style in the auditions, but she has lost something. The two of them just aren't cutting it anymore. Zzzzzzzz
Kara, I'll help you out: it is Andy Blankenbuehler. And, regarding Nigel's "real legitimate Broadway choreography" comment- I certainly hope so! Andy just won a Tony Award for the choreography of In The Heights. I just happened to be there when he won, and he walked right in front of me with that pretty, shiney award!
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Jul 3, 2008 8:13 AM
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I thought Cat's hair and makeup were awesome. I did not love her dress, but it did grow on me (especially when I saw it as a whole). My wife suggested that the shoulders should have been black or more narrow.
Jessica and Will: I did see the missed connections on the Jive and agree with Mary and Nigel on the Jive. I like the shirt and appreciated Nigel's comments about Jessica's technique during lifts and tricks, although Will is still the stronger partner. While she was not in my Top 20, I am glad we get to watch her.
Comfort and Thayne: This was the weakest couple of the night for me, although I like them together more than with their previous partners (Thayne getting Comfort to crack up with his "mock hood" made me smile). T&N seem to really go easy on them. I thought they were going to get booed at a couple points in their first number. Thayne seemed to have the facial expressions, but this piece was not as strong as the later Broadway piece, "Tourists in New York". The new Broadway choreographer seemed exceptional for me. I really liked that lift on the Waltz. However, I thought Comfort really did not pull off her expressions for me. My wife thinks it is because she may be overacting (like a high school student in her first role).
Kourtni and Matt: I hope they have been practicing their solo dances. I agree that Matt was the better partner in Hip Hop and looked sharp in his white suit. Kourtni seemed to not give her best effort. While not the best choreography, it could have been much tighter. I thought Kourtni did better on the Mambo (although not great), while Matt did worse. I think Nigel was trying to give some good advice to Matt and wish the audience would accept that.
Chelsie and Mark: I thought they both did well with that choreography. Mark did not do quite as well on the ballroom piece, while Chelsie showed that she is best ballroom dancer in the competition by a wide margin. I cannot imagine anyone else not messing those moves up when forced to wear that feather costume. I felt more connection from her tonight, although I still prefer Mark's personality. Great Ballroom choreography.
Kherington & Twitch: This started off as a fan favorite pair. I still see them as one of the favorites. I love the Paso Doble and the costumes, choreography and music (I love playing this piece and style on the guitar) were great and I did find it entertaining. Kherington seemed to own a strong personality, while Twitch seemed to struggle a little. The opening dismount was awkward and the couple seemed to struggle with the large, heavy capes. The second half was much stronger. I'm not sure we have a strong enough male dancer (technique and personality) to really knock a PD out of the park (no Pasha and Jamie was sent home the first week). I thought the personality, synchronization, commitment, and emotion were really good on the Contemporary piece. Sometimes I am less awed by Mia Michaels than others and I wished there was just a little more to the choreography here.
Katee & Joshua: This was my favorite piece of the night and this pair has consistently given me either my favorite dance or second favorite dance every week. Joshua really has a great personality and shows it well. Katee has a wonderful personality and is consistently one of the best for me. They struggled a little more with the WC Swing, although that probably should be expected. The hip bump at the end was awesome.
Courtney & Gev: Courtney did much better than I expected on the Hip-Hop. Gev seemed distracted by the East Coast style. Gev, on the other hand, seemed stronger on the Broadway for me. My wife thought Gev's jump was poor technique, while I thought it was part of the role. I felt these two did a stronger presentation than the fighting Broadway earlier. I wonder how much stronger the earlier Broadway dance would have been with this pair (or really other pair except Kourtni and Matt). I like Andy Blankenburger's work tonight even if the execution was not always there.
I would love to see Courtney, Gev, or Will dance their solos. While I think they did well in the pairs' performance, I could see them dancing for their lives and I would enjoy watching them dance more. There really seem to be about 4-5 dancers that are really good, 5-6 that are good and 4 that are really not good. Those 4 happen to be coupled together and I expect neither of them will make it to the Top 10. I loved getting to see 2 dances from each couple.
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Jul 3, 2008 8:22 AM
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I'm in the camp that Cat would look good in a sack, but wasn't loving tonight's style. I hope she's back with her long hair flowing tonight.
I loved the same dancers as you did, Kara, Joshua/Katee, Mark/Chelsie, and Twitchington. But I have to say that nothing blew me away this week. Mia's bed dance seemed more about emoting than dancing. I know it is almost sacrilege to not love a Mia routine. I am nuts for her, but it didn't pass the tear test for me. When her routine is on, I cry. And the routine set to the West Side Story score should have had me swooning as it is to me the best musical ever, and I agreed totally with Nigel that it didn't have that snap. (if you haven't seen the old 1961 movie of West Side Story lately and you love dance, rent it right away. I have always contended that Bernstein wrote a modern ballet - it is as much about the dance as it is the music. Here's a so-so quality clip of the 'Cool' scene: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkdP02HKQGc)
My favorite moment of the night was when Mary said that they should just shove Nigel into the audience and they could have their way with him. I laughed literally out loud at that.
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Jul 3, 2008 8:40 AM
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I agree about Cat - love the hair, hate the dress. And I agree about the judges, they were very nitpicky. The way Nigel and Mary were acting towards each other sometimes made me think of Simon and Paula from AI. Anyway here are my thoughts on the dancing:
Jessica and Will
Jive: I agree with T&N that it took time to get into and Will definitely had sharper kicks and more bounce, but overall it wasn't bad.
Lyrical Jazz: Honestly I loved the choreography in this piece and I think they danced beautifully. I think this is the best job they've ever done. Although it did look like Jessica lost the character in her face a couple of times, which wouldn't be bad except the camera was close up on her at those times.
Comfort and Thayne
Broadway: I really wanted to like this since I love West Side Story. Thayne had good character, but both their dancing just wasn't explosive enough for me.
Smooth Waltz: It was slow, but I thought they danced well together. They definitely have more chemistry together than with their other partners.
Kourtni and Matt
Hip Hop: It was eh. Matt did a better job than I was expecting. There were times that the two of them were perfectly synched and times they weren't. And they really weren't hitting it hard enough.
Mambo: What a mess! Was anyone else flashing back to Heidi and Benji's mambo in Season 2? Now that was a great mambo. I admit I didn't pay that much to Kourtni. I kept looking at Matt saying, move your hips - bend your leg! I did feel for them, being a 5'10" girl myself, it takes a lot more effort to get your arms and legs to go where they are supposed. But still...
Chelsie and Mark
Jazz: I am loving Mandy Moore more and more each week. And I have loved this couple from the beginning. They have a great connection and really had fun with this dance.
Foxtrot: This was my 2nd favorite ballroom routine of the night. They just seem to glide across the floor. And yeah, didn't care for Chelsie's dress, but it was a perfect foxtrot dress.
Twitch and Kherrington:
Paso Doble: This was my favorite ballroom routine of the night! I loved it! Honestly, I missed that Twitch wasn't in character in the beginning because Kherrington was so into the performance and had the character nailed down, I couldn't stop watching her. I loved the concept of 2 matadors because this is usually such a misogynistic dance and Kherrington did a good job representing the ladies.
Contemporary: Oh to only have half the brilliance of Mia Michaels! This was my favorite piece of the entire evening! That's all I can say!
Katee and Joshua:
Contemporary: 2nd overall favorite dance of the evening. I'm having a Mia lovefest right now! The walk in the beginning had me holding my breath - it was like the calm before the storm. And the assisted run - Wow! I agree though that Katee outdanced Joshua.
West Coast Swing: Benji! I heart Benji! Did you catch Lacey assisting him? I liked except it wasn't as energetic as I thought it should have been and the flip-cartwheel was eh. Would have liked Joshua's legs completely straight.
Courtney and Gev
Hip Hop: It was okay. Courtney was definitely dancing harder than Gev. He was putting a more cool vibe on it. And Courtney tried very hard to be gangsta but it seemed more wannabe to me.
Broadway: I loved Gev in this! He had the perfect facial reactions and movements. Courtney was way outdanced on this one! Still was expecting some parts to be bigger, but overall not bad at all.
Bottom Three Predictions:
- Kourtni and Matt
- Comfort and Thayne
- ? I guessing Jessica and Will because everyone thinks she brings Will down, but I think she's been doing better.
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Jul 3, 2008 9:13 AM
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This was an off week for me. I wasn't blown away and don't think that any of the couples had 2 strong dances. Also, as much as I love Kat - that dress was a disaster! They've got to stop doing that to her. Also, the judges are so infuriating. Their comments seem so uneven that it is distracting and obvious that they have their top 10 in mind when they judge. 'Nuff said.
Will and Jessica (Jive) - I think this is the best kick action from novices that I've seen on this show. the over the back, through the legs trick was very nicely done. Will is still the stronger of the two, but she did a commendable job. (Lyrical) was a better dance for them - it didn't hurt that Will was shirtless. Enjoyed the choreography.
Comfort & Thayne (Broadway) - I was sweating it out for these 2. Love them both and Comfort is a favorite of mine. I am rooting for her to at least make it to the top 12. That being said, I gotta say that as much as I love West Side Story - the song choice was wrong - IMO. It's so connected to the original piece for me that it was hard for me to see where the choreographer was going with this. Thayne was great, Comfort appropriately flirty - but she didn't seem as sharp and 'big' I guess. Not horrible, just not the best. (Smooth Waltz) - this was excellent. They connected, I felt the emotion and I think they accomplished the task at hand. I've always felt that there is so much grace in Comfort's arms - lovely piece. It saved them.
Kourtni & Matt (Hip/Hop) - Matt really surprised me, but he and Kourtni seemed out of sync. I tend to like stronger movements in Hip Hop - more driving. However it can be soft as well - but when it is it's all the more important to really 'hit' the movements. Didn't work for me. (Mambo) - MamNO. Oy, this was a mess. They really tried, but it was not happening. I fear they'll be in the bottom 3 tonight. I see what the judges meant by Matt's upper body - it seemed strangely disconnected from his lower half. I dunno?
Cheisie & Mark (Jazz) - meh. Didn't love it. Didn't. I love him, she annoys me. (FoxTrot) - indifferent. I did notice Mark's footwork and thought it needed to be cleaner.
Kherrington & Twitch (Paso Doble) - I liked the cape work. I agree that it started slowly, but built to a decent dance. Kherrington was stronger, but I felt that Twitch came along. (Contemporary) - WOW. WOW. WOW. Mia is a genius (sorry Mohawk chick from last week that wants to be the next Mia...you're good, but...). Very strong dance and they should escape the bottom 3.
Joshua & Katee (Contemporary) - Another stunning routine from Mia. Awesome. Loved it. I have to grudgingly admit that Katee is very good. She was better than Joshua, but he still did a wonderful job. That assisted run thing was frakktastic and I'm so glad the camera caught it properly. Best 1st routine. (West Coast Swing) - I was really excited that Benji was back to choreograph - but I gotta say that this did not work for me. I hated the song choice (thought it was too slow). I didn't think they danced it well and the over the head cartwell spin was a mess (sorry Josh). I expected more and I didn't get it. Benji would have danced it better and has, but it felt to me like they were dancing in a mud pit. Seemed not on beat, just a disaster.
Courtney & Gev (Hip/Hop) - It was okay. I actually wrote no comments last nights - didn't impress. (Broadway) - As a huge fan of old musicals and "On the Town" in particular, this missed the mark for me. I didn't feel the emotion - it felt fake. I liked Gev better than Courtney. He gave me a little Gene Kelly, but as a cohesive routine - it missed the mark for me. It felt as if they were dancing against the music. I don't know what the judges were raving on about. I literally stared at the t.v. dumbfounded as they went on and on about the routine. Didn't work for me.
Bottom 3:
Comfort & Thayne
Kourtni & Matt
Courtney & Gev or Will & Jessica
I think that it will come down to Kourtni & Matt or Comfort & Thayne going home 
I hope that America doesn't punish Will or Josh for the positive comments the judges make about them.
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Jul 3, 2008 10:15 AM
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Correct me if I'm wrong on this, but I believe 4 out of the 7 couples have never been in the bottom three. Those 4 couples being Kherington/Twitch, Katee/Joshua, Lauren/Gev, and Chelsie/Mark. So it will be interesting tonight to see if the other 3 remaining couples are yet again at the bottom. Ironically, those 3 are my least favorites this week. Jessica has been doing better but I still think they just don't click as a couple. I love Thayne but am not so fond of Comfort. I feel like she puts off this image of not wanting to be there or something, like she's not 100% committed. Plus her dancing last night just didn't cut it for me. And Kourtni and Matt just seem to have given up already.
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Jul 3, 2008 10:37 AM
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OK, first: I agree that Jessica did soooo much better in the lyrical jazz than she's ever done. That said, I still can't stand her. I understand that Will is amazing (and really attractive, let me just say), but all I can think when I think about that is how last season Danny was so amazing, and Lacey was still with him every step of the way, and sometimes stole the spotlight from him. I feel like if she gets paired with someone who needs more from their partner, they're going to get in trouble because she doesn't give it to them. I can't see her not getting into the top 10, though, because Comfort and Kourtni really seem to be done. I also haven't decided how I feel about Courtney and Gev: I feel like I haven't seen a lot of personality from him, and maybe too much from her as compensation. Katee/Joshua and Twichington are definitely my favorites, although Chelsie and Mark surprise me every week with how much I like them and their routines. I think if Will was paired with a different partner, i.e. someone I can remember fondly from the piece, he would be in a much better place in the competition.
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Jul 3, 2008 10:55 AM
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Well, here are my thoughts.
Jessica & Will:
-Jive: I'm no expert in this, but I felt like something was off in this jive but I couldn't put my finger on it.
-Lyrical Jazz: I mean, I thought it was well done, and I think all of the teenie boppers, middle-aged women and the young men will pick up the phones for them just because of this number, due to the "let me sex you down over and over and over again" vibe of this routine. They played the Sexytime card and I think it will keep them safe another week.
Comfort & Thayne:
-Broadway: I like this partnership a lot more than the previous partnerships that they had. I thought this was better than Will & Jessica's jive, but I also agree with Nigel's comments about them being booed off.
-Smooth Waltz: I thought it was well done...I don't remember much from it but I remember the impression that it left me with.
Kourtni & Matt:
-Hip-Hop: Yuck. I mean, it was a 75%/25% yuck... 75% Yuck because of the way that they executed...there was a lack of conviction in each hit and 25% Yuck because of the choreography itself. I am not a fan of those two female choreographers and what I feel is their cheeziness. I kind of miss Dan Karaty now (I can't believe I'm saying that either).
-Mambo: That one also wasn't good. They were just going thru the steps...the "Down n' Dirty" comment by the judges hit the nail on the head.
Chelsie & Mark:
-Jazz: They did really well. I remember saying to myself, "Finally some good talent tonight!"
-Foxtrot: It was pretty good. I'm glad Chelsie stuck it out, feather in mouth and all.
Kherington & Twitch:
-Paso Doble: I thought it was awesome. Very intense. This might have been the routine where I described it as, "The Embodiment of Sexual Frustration". That first lift kind of looked weird though but maybe that was the intention?
-Contemporary: It was very nice. I just kept wondering, "Where does Mia Michaels come up with this stuff???" A bed, a man, a woman and flowers. I kind of want my futon to be slanted now.
Katee & Joshua:
-Contemporary: Where does Mia Michaels come up with this stuff??? Very well done by both dancers.
-West Coast Swing: Meh... I thought Benji gave them a lot of good things to work with and I didn't feel that they executed it the way that it was meant to be executed. Not enough energy. I know that Benji would have shut it down if he danced it.
Courtney & Gev:
-Hip-hop: Courtney's a NYK dancer?? Well that explains why she killed it! Gev...poor Gev. You know, he a bboy (which is THE dance of hip hop if you ask me) studying and learning other dance genres prior to the auditions, I figured that the first thing he'd touch up on is the hip hop choreography that's in videos and dance studios and whatnot. I was disappointed. Then I thought, "Maybe this is what those two female choreographers intended". I mean, it's a club song, and in the clubs, you'd expect the woman shaking her butt (much like how Courtney did) and the man kind of two-stepping it, laying back, chillin and watching (sort of like how Gev did it).
-Broadway: It was pretty good. I'm glad Nigel made a reference to Gene Kelly because that's what Gev's dancing reminded me of.
So my guesses at bottom three:
Kourtni & Matt (no brainer)
Comfort & Thayne (2nd performance was better but not memorable)
Courtney & Gev (poor hip hop mixed with Will & Jessica's sexed-up routine getting them votes)
Who's going home? Well I think Kourtni and Matt are gonna go because everyone else is still too good.
Umm...is Kat Deely pregnant? I feel like the past couple of weeks with these dresses have made her belly stick out just a bit so it makes me wonder. Nigel's comments were mostly right on. I'm glad he didn't take crap from anyone last night.
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Jul 3, 2008 10:58 AM
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And, I forgot to mention this, but I hated the Broadway routine at the end, and I love musical theatre. However, I can't figure out if it was the choreography or the dancing.
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Jul 3, 2008 10:59 AM
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just a quick question - does anyone know where wade robson is this season?
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Jul 3, 2008 11:28 AM
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To Lauren27...my thoughts exactly! He would have choreographed a better hip-hop routine than those two hiphop choreographers last night.
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Jul 3, 2008 11:31 AM
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Facets- I agree! I'm also really missing Shane Sparks...I love the dancers this season, but without some of my favorite choreographers, this season is just not as memorable as it should be
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Jul 3, 2008 11:48 AM
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I have to start off saying this week's paso doble was actually enjoyable. Perhaps because like last week's Viennese waltz, it wasn't true to the actual genre. Here we had two dueling matadors with their own capes, rather than one matador and one cape. And the better matador was the woman. Another feather in the cap of the Meredith/La Patin choreography team. At least I think it was theirs. I liked both the idea and the execution.
While I'm on Twitchington, I'm another who has to give a bad mark to Mia Michaels for their second routine. It was way too literal. I thought I was watching a music video since every lyric seemed to match the dancers' movements. That, and I had a flashback to Madonna's concert for "Bedtime Stories" in which she had a slanted bed prominently featured on stage for a few numbers.
Listening to Nigel and Mary talk about how elegant Comfort was without her piercing and in the ball gown reminded me of what people used to say about Whitney Houston who similarly came from a rough background but could clean up well. I'm not taking the comparison beyond that, just saying.
I thought the west coast swing was on the same valium as krump was a couple weeks earlier. It was too sedate or slow or something. It needed a lot more energy. I was waiting for Nigel to say that Joshua and Katee's performance would have gotten them booed at a swing competition. It just didn't measure up.
Last week, Nigel criticized Matt for not committing to each role and style from week to week, much like the actor Michael Caine who plays himself in each of his film roles. I think Matt did it again this week.
I agree with christy3761's logic on who the bottom three will be. And based on that I expect Matt will be the male dancer who is cut. I'd bet Comfort will be cut, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's Kourtni.
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Jul 3, 2008 11:51 AM
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