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So You Think You Can Dance Watch: Top Six Perform AGAIN
Last week, Billy was injured, and Jose showed just how far in over his head he was. But in keeping with the “medical” nature of this season, guest judge Kenny Ortega apparently infected the rest of the judges with some kind of virus that caused the rest of the panel to waffle and fudge and futz about before finally deciding that no one was going home. Cat was sooooo right, they’re pretty much just making this season up as they go along. Honestly, I don’t blame the judges (much)… it’s the show that’s causing the dancers to fall by the wayside on a weekly basis, but all the judges are doing are compounding the problem by not adhering to the show’s well-established guidelines. But six will perform tonight, and two will go home tomorrow.
Ah, well. The dancers come out for their introductory twirls, and miracle of miracles, all six are present and accounted for. Even the lovely Cat celebrates the mysterious lack of injury in the past seven days, and then reminds us that regardless of what happens tonight, two dancers will be going home tomorrow. She introduces the “jidges,” who again number four. Thankfully, tonight’s guest judge is a familiar face: ballroom champion, audition-round judge and choreographer Toni Redpath.
Dance 1: Kent with Anya, Jean-Marc Genereux, Cha-cha - “My First Kiss” by 3OH!3 feat. Kesha - Once again, the show brazenly makes another attempt to make Kent age into manhood within the scope of this season, by having him play the “bad boy” who’s hot for teacher Anya. Think he’ll get to kiss her? Maybe he’ll burst into flames. Anyway, Anya is hot (natch), but Justin Bieber could out-nasty Kent in a pinch. Nigel calls it a “good effort.” Toni constructively says that Kent needs to stop hunching, but otherwise very good. Mia says that the routine didn’t flow, and that he’s still making faces. Adam simply tells him to relax.
Dance 2: Robert with Kathryn, Staci Tookey, Contemporary - “Heaven is a Place on Earth” by Katie Thompson - Stacy T is going for an Emmy nom of her own with this routine, which includes a story about a girl leaving his guy to go off to war. Will it happen? Only if Mia cries… The routine itself is very graceful and balletic, and contains some pretty impressive lifts. Very nice. Nigel says Robert has grown considerably. Toni says that his connection with Kathryn was impressive. Mia is not quite crying (better luck next time, Stace), but is welling up. She tells Robert that he should let his emotions take over in a routine like this. Adam says that he “killed it.”
Dance 3: Jose (solo) - “Giant Squid” by RJD2 – Today everyone will be saying what they think of each other. Which is a tiresome thing to write about, but hey, this is Jose’s last night of dancing, so oh well. Lauren calls him “cluelessly cute.” Billy compares him to a wise tortoise. Robert calls him “kind-hearted.” Kent says his focus is second to none. Adechike calls him a fighter. (See? There’s just no way to make this exciting!)
Dance 4: Adechike with Courtney, Tyce DiOrio, Jazz - “Manteca” by Dizzy Gillespie – Jazz is a very old-fashioned, demonstrative form of dance, but it can still be a lot of fun to watch if done well. Adechike seems to do quite well, and having a whale of a good time doing it. Kudos. Adam gibbers something nonsensical wrapped around the words “total joy.” Mia loved it, but says that Adechike needs to find a balance between style and athleticism. Toni commends him for looking like he was having fun. Nigel says that he needs to let himself go even more.
Dance 5: Lauren (solo) - “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” by Aretha Franklin – Kent shows wisdom beyond his years by calling Kent “a girl… the only girl.” (Way to go, SHOW. Make him a man, but a stupid man. Jerks.) Robert calls her “crazy” and “hyper.” Billy reveals that Lauren has imaginary friends and has names for her bunny slippers. Adechike calls her a “ball of energy.” Jose says that she’s “everyone’s baby sister.” Awww.
Dance 6: Jose with Comfort, Marty Kudelka & Dana Wilson, Hip-hop - “Try a Little Tenderness” by Otis Redding – Hip-Hop and Otis Redding? Interesting combination. I’m not familiar with these choreographers, and honestly, this routine doesn’t look like the hip-hop that has been showcased by the likes of Lil’ C, NappyTabs and Dave Scott. Like, at all. It looked very cutesy and not difficult at all. Nigel loved it, though, saying it had a really “cool vibe.” He also reveals that Jose has been nursing a groin injury, which has kept him out of the Thursday group routines. Hmm, funny that we’re only hearing about this now. Toni liked it as well, and loved Jose’s character. Mia plays the buzzkill again and says that Jose had no “swagger” whatsoever. Cut the kid a break, Mia, he’s going home tomorrow! Adam cryptically says that Jose needs to dance the piece’s “intention,” whatever the hell that means.
Dance 7: Billy (solo) - “Lights Go Down” by Telepathe – Adechike says that Billy Belliott is a major slob. Kent calls him “helpful” and “friendly.” Lauren says the Billy is quite a jokester. Jose tells us that Billy is much louder than you might think. Robert calls him a “crazy, sarcastic, nut job”… but with love, of course.
Dance 8: Kent (solo) - “A Song For You” by Elliott Yamin – Well, THIS should be edifying. All five of Kent’s competitors fall over each other, calling him the personification of cute. Whatever, I’m so over this guy.
Dance 9: Lauren with Allison, Tyce DiOrio, Broadway - “Who’s Got the Pain?” from Damn Yankees – Finally, some girl/girl action! Not to sound dirty, but the farewell parties for this season’s girls, which came early and often, made this possibility a rarity, and I for one am glad to see it. And this routine is cute as the dickens. It’s flirtatious and playful, and a joy to watch. Adam tells Lauren that she’s already an All-Star, she’s so good at everything. Mia says she’s one of her favorite contestants on the show now. Toni called the performance “strong and sexy.” Nigel makes a serious faux pas by calling the show “American Idol”. Ooh, you’re going to get it backstage for that, Nigel. He recovers and says that Lauren should and will be in the finale.
Dance 10: Robert (solo) - “A Beautiful Mess” by Jason Mraz – Billy and Lauren, backed up by video footage, say that Robert is “always singing.” And not all that well, people. Adechike is terrified of Robert’s sideburns. Kent says that he is definitely the “class clown” of the group. Jose calls him “goofy.” So if anyone reading this wants to date him, consider yourself warned.
Dance 11: Billy with Ade, Staci Tookey, Contemporary - “Mad World” by Michael Andrews feat. Gary Jules – The obligatory “message” that seems to come with all contemporary on this show is that Ade is a rich, powerful guy and Billy is a poor, homeless guy who are actually old friends. Okay, I’m intrigued. I also adore this song. And I love this routine. I truly believe these characters, and it’s easily my favorite routine of the night. Simply brilliant. And it gets a standing O! Nigel says he is go glad they didn’t cut Billy last week, or else we wouldn’t have gotten to see this routine. Word. Toni calls it a “choreographer’s dream.” Mia calls it “sheer perfection.” Adam calls it “magnificent art.” Hope that gets him votes.
Dance 12: Adechike (solo) - “Pretty Wings” by Maxwell – Thank heaven, the last solo. Billy says Adechike has a lot of nicknames. Lauren calls him “everybody’s best friend.” Kent, Robert and Jose calls out Adechike’s love for the fairer sex. Yeah, he’s a player. Yawn.
Dance 13: Jose and Kent, Spencer Liff, Broadway - “From This Moment On” from Kiss Me Kate- The duo play 50's moving guys, competing for the attention of ladies passing by. Quaint, definitely fun, but sorry Jose, this is a battle you can’t possibly win. Adam says Kent was born to do this, and Jose was great considering his hip-hop background. Mia says that Kent should do Broadway for a career. Toni praises both dancers’ ability to inhabit their character. Nigel tells Jose that he should be very proud of himself, and ends by telling Jose that he’s probably going home tomorrow.
Dance 14: Lauren and Adechike, Jean-Marc Genereux, Foxtrot - “Fever” by Beyonce – I wish I could adequately describe Lauren’s dress for this routine, because it’s awesome. Black, sequined, showing flesh in all the right spots, and sexy as hell. Foxtrot is not a genre that tends to generate much excitement, as it tends to be more slow and sultry, with a lot of hand-holding and lifting. Still, I liked it. Nigel basically echoes that sentiment, saying that its toned-down façade made it hard to really enjoy. Toni, being a ballroom expert, said that the footwork was off. Mia says that Adechike does well when he’s in contact with Lauren, but is not as good when they’re apart. Adam marvels at Lauren’s continued ability to master anything.
Dance 15: Billy and Robert, Bollywood, Nakul Dev Mahajan - “Ganesh” from Bombay Dreams - These two came into the competition together, and finally we get to see them dance together! It’s Bollywood, so you can probably picture the bright outfits, the flailing of the arms, and a lot of pirouettes and jetes. Nigel says it’s one of the best Bollywood routines they’ve ever had. Toni says they “nailed it.” Mia is grateful that they were able to make it unscathed through such a difficult routine. Adam says that Billy may have saved his bacon with his performances tonight.
Patrick’s Bottom Three - Not sure how it’s going to work… will the two that go home be based solely on votes? In past seasons, once they reached Top 5 it was votes alone, and not the judges, that determined who was eliminated. So, based on not knowing, I’ll say that the Bottom Three will be Jose, Adechike and Robert, with Robert being spared one more time.
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