We’d like to think that there’s no “Wayward Home for Abandoned Dancers” but if there ever had to be one, it quite possibly may be the Hollywood home of a movie icon. There at the WHFAD you’d receive three square meals, tutoring in a private ballroom, and stretch limo chauffeur service with your own personal driver, among other activities. Be sure to read the fine print, kids. Don’t you want to sponsor an Abandoned Dancer today? Call 1-800-REAL-LIFE-HANSEL-GRETEL
Wadi and five others are on the phone lines now. Please call.
As the intro happens we’ve now got the dancers pairing up to do their quick one move Shoo, bee, doo, bee’s which is fine. Cat then comes out looking very much like a lace lemon drop. We’re not loving this dress with the doily cap sleeves, Cat. It’s a little too plain Jane for us. But, really, we’re happy they stopped putting strange things in your hair. I take it they’re going the simpler route this season? Er, okay, Cat. Don’t stop bringing the pizzazz.
Yes, yes, we’re so very excited that all ten couples will dance again. We’re supposed to assume that this is some treat, but really it’s a nice ploy for all the drama and tension that will commence upon tonight’s elimination show where….FOUR DANCERS WILL BE GOING HOME.
We’re off to the judges introduction…there’s Nigel, yes, yes, Mary, of course….and just who is that with the teased bouffant hairstyle and lavender bedazzled snazzy pantsuit….well, it’s Debbie Reynolds! Of course, Debbie Reynolds is a legend, a real Hollywood icon, but she is also kind of like your boozy great Aunt Janet who always has a hankie and a firearm in her purse. If you’re a guy she’ll comment on how much of a “Strapping young lad” you’ve turned into and appraise you uncomfortably, and if you’re a girl, she’ll look you up and down, take a sip from a tiny bottle you didn’t know she had, remark that you don’t look good in bangs, and make you feel how strong her calf muscles still are after eighty years of daily jogs and eating beets everyday. A. National. Treasure.
And here we go with the introductory vignettes….again. We still don’t care! Especially about the cringy “Dish about how weird your partner is!” vignettes. Leg hair and sweating like a dude? Really? We want dancing! Bring on the dancing!
Dancers: Ryan & Ricky
Dance Style: Jazz
Choreographer: Mandy Moore
Concept: Sexy, sexual tension routine (yeah, um, that’s it.)
Music: Addicted to Love, Robert Palmer
Performance: Horrible song choice. I have no idea why anyone in 2011 would ever pick this song to listen to much less dance to. It’s so bad that it was distracting. The whole thing looked like a Paula Abdul routine from the late 1980’s, even the wardrobe. The dancing was athletic and synchronized, and they danced it well, but really it was incredibly outdated.
Judges:
Nigel: They’ve stepped off the hot tamale train for a little break. So raunchy. The sexual tension was like what Mary and I have. Yikes..with all the yikes in the world.
Mary: I’m addicted to the TWO OF YOU. Nice use of the song title there Mary.
Debbie: So sexy you fell out of your top and out of your bottom…whoa! (I don’t think her hair’s moved since the late 1960’s. )
Spirit Fingers: It worked for what they were given, but really, if you’re going back into your 80’s bag , Mandy, let’s find something a little less “banned videos on MTV.” He’s a cold hearted snake…look into his eyes.” Yeah, erm, no.
Commercial break…
Alert!
Footloose Movie Trailer: Is this the exact same movie frame for frame? Yes, yes it is the exact same movie frame for frame…except there’s now some hip-hop dancing thrown in down by the barn. Hip-hop dancing you say? With all that poppin and lockin? Well, yes, most definitely. This is totally not expected. No, really it was totally expected. Will we ask questions like: Where in America, with the exception of some Amish communities, and maybe the random Mormon compound is dancing banned? Are we to believe that the two stars are actually in high school? Why does Ryan Seacrest’s lady friend look and sound like Miley Cyrus? A drive in? No, sorry, I’m wrong. You’ve Been Served at the Drive in. Okay. And then anger, angst, protest, dancing must happen, dance montage while breaking windows, glitter, maroon suit jacket with skinny tie, close up of shoes, teen rebellion, an exploding bus. The end. No Kenny Loggins. That’s the worst part. No, the whole thing is the worst part! No Kenny Loggins is the even worst bow on the worst part.
Back to the show…
Dancers: Caitlynn & Mitchell
Dance Style: Contemporary
Choreographer: Stacey Tookey
Concept: Relationship that’s gone wrong
Music: Turning Tables, Adele
Performance: Emotional and gripping in the dance and the story. Excellently danced by the pair. And the imagery was stellar, from the leaps, to the gentle placement on standing on two feet, to the use of the light and the dark, to Mitchell grabbing Caitlynn in a forceful type pull, and eventually turning off one light and the other remaining lit to showcase strength. A sensational performance.
Judges:
Nigel: Remarkable piece. So much drama. I felt your inner turmoil. Dance is the language of the soul. Outstanding.
Mary: Great chemistry. Can’t wait to see you outside of your style. Flawless.
Debbie: So beautiful. You bled for us. Talk about giving your all. Lovely extension. Singing, singing….oh, boy.
Spirit Fingers: Fabulous! Loved the drama and the soul of the piece. I bought the relationship so that’s a job well done.
Dancers: Wadi & Missy
Dance Style: Ballroom, Cha-Cha
Choreographer: Jean Mac Generoux
Concept: Hot Cha-cha
Music: Cannibal, KZapf DingbatsSHA
Performance: Oomph. Not good. Wadi is having serious trouble with his technique. His arm and foot placement is just wrong. He’s not gliding across the floor and we can see him thinking and counting the steps. There are a lot of technical issues with this performance. It’s probably not going to make the cut. The one saving grace he may have is his partnering. Missy does a better job here.
Judges:
Nigel: I’m going to keep it real. Wadi, you were there for the partnering, but it wasn’t there for the technique of it. Needs a lot of work.
Mary: The beginning was spectacular. Wadi, you did fall short at the cha-cha part of it. Missy, you are the cha-cha queen! I was very impressed. It was a bit like Dancing With the Stars with you, Missy, looking like the professional, and Wadi, you were the student. (Oh, no, Mary didn’t.) All of a sudden a lady in a purple pants suit gets up and says that she’ll take Wadi home and they can dance. Who was that lady? Oh, it was you, Debbie. I’m worried what this dance would entail.
Debbie: You chewed it up. Muy Bueno.
Spirit Fingers: It wasn’t good enough to compete with all the great dances happening on the show. Wadi, if saved, will need to step it up.
Dancers: Iveta & Nick
Dance Style: Bollywood
Choreographer: Nakul Dev Mahajan
Concept: Bollywood Energy Dance with Lightening
Iveta Fashion: Leopard print Hammer Pants and Pink Lace Dancer’s Tank circa 1986
Music: Baawre, Luck By Chance
Performance: A lot of high energy, but it lacked a little of the natural joy we’ve seen with Bollywood in the past. The moves were all executed, but there was a missing bit of soul and chemistry here. Technically some of the transitions and lifts were a bit stiff, but all in all not a bad first foray into Bollywood for the season.
Judges:
Nigel: Done with panache. Really good job. Joshua and Katee were stronger but they were in the top ten when they did their Bollywood number.
Mary: Super entertaining. Good partnership. Lot of fun.
Debbie: So exciting. I feel twenty years younger. Wonderful and terrific. As an old tap dancer this would freak me out, and it did in a very good way.
Spirit Fingers: Not good, not bad. Nick will need to mature a bit though. Through their dancing and interaction you can see the age gap, which makes their chemistry a hard sell.
Dancers: Robert & Miranda
Dance Style: Hip-Hop
Choreographer: NappyTabs! Yay!
Concept: Grown wise woodpecker helps his student.
Music: Break Ya Neck, Busta Rhymes
Performance: Not one Woo-Hoo. Fantastic. I think Robert learned a valuable lesson about that. The routine was pretty solid. Both were believable as the characters. There was one slight bobble near the end when Miranda fell out of her somersault. She stumbled a bit, but then carried on. You could tell she was a bit shaken because her moves were less fluid after the bobble. She wasn’t as sure of herself, but she gets props for incorporating the bobble into the performance. We’ll see if the judges noticed it.
Judges:
Nigel: I’m worried about how many dancers Debbie’s taking home with her tonight. I love the forms. Miranda, I think you were the best contemporary artist doing hip-hop (Alex Wong takes issue with that), and even when you stumbled you picked yourself up. Robert, you were great, no woo-hoo, and that’s great.
Mary: This worked for the two of you. Amazing concept. NappyTabs goes outside the box. Amazing job.
Debbie: Fabulous. Tough and so great. So creative. DEBBIE REYNOLDS DOES THE WOODY WOODPECKER LAUGH FLAWLESSLY. I really don’t know what to say at this point.
Spirit Fingers: Debbie Reynolds is awesome. Let’s drink!
Dancers: Clarice & Jess
Dance Style: Contemporary
Choreographer: Stacey Tookey
Concept: THE ROYAL WEDDING, EVERYBODY. *sigh.
Music: Cathedrals, Jump Little Children
Performance: The first thing you notice is the height difference, and the fact that Jess looks terribly slight standing next to Clarice. There’s not much you can do about this, but it somehow throws the dancing off just a bit. It also makes some of the lifts look uncomfortable. The side-by-side portions are really beautiful and effortless, but when they come together they seemed a bit unsure of their movement as a couple. Not good.
Judges:
Nigel: I enjoyed parts of it. Royal, royal, plug, prince William and Kate are coming. I loved the work you did separately. When you came together it felt a bit uncomfortable. You didn’t get it together as a couple. It just didn’t look right.
Mary: Emotions were perfect. Jess you have so much power and control. Clarice, you’re stunning.
Debbie: So wonderful. You touched my heart, so I’m taking you both home with me…with Wadi. (Her basement is probably pretty full of orphaned dancers. )
Spirit Fingers: It was awkward and it showed.
Dancers: Jordan & Tadd
Dance Style: Viennese Waltz
Choreographer: Jean Marc Generoux
Concept: Waltz it Out
Music: Fade Into Me, David Cook
Performance: Beautifully danced. The rises and falls were excellent. The musicality was rhythmic and on point. The breadth and space was spectacular. Both dancers were just gorgeous. Tadd especially. Even though the lifts were a little awkward they picked it right back up and stayed in the moment. A very nice surprise.
Judges:
Nigel: Just so beautiful. Jordan such a beautiful dancer. Tadd, you worry me. I need to remind you that you are a b-boy, your arms and presentation was fantastic. The best I’ve seen a b-boy dance a Vienese Waltz.
Mary: Tad, you are the biggest surprise from this season. You were on time. Your fencing lines and arm wrapping were unbelievable. I’m so proud of you.
Debbie: Have you ever heard of Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, and Cyd Charisse? You were just as wonderful as they were. ULTIMATE COMPLIMENT.
Spirit Fingers: One of the best dances of the night, for sure.
Dancers: Melanie & Marko
Dance Style: Jazz
Choreographer: Mandy Moore
Concept: Old song with a new twist
Music: Sing with a Swing, DKS
Performance: Not a fan of Melanie’s costume in this piece. I get the Jazz notion of it, but it made her look heavier than it needed to. Overall the dancing was well performed, but perhaps Marko outdanced her just a little bit. Melanie didn’t seem as quick on her feet as she skipped across the stage and her energy seemed a bit low, but this may be because I’m expecting great things from them both after last week’s performance.
Judges:
Nigel: I think you two are stars. You guys have equal parts technique and passion.
Mary: Everyone has a voice when they dance and you guys are speaking loud and clearly. I don’t feel I have to worry about this team. You’re just fabulous.
Debbie: Kind of confusing commentary. Not sure if Debbie was playing close attention.
Spirit Fingers: A good solid routine. Not a standout, but well performed.
Dancers: Sasha & Alexander
Dance Style: Hip-Hop
Choreographer: NappyTabs
Concept: Serviceman returns home from the war
Music: Coming Home, Diddy-Dirty Money
Performance: The fluid movement and the drama were both phenomenal. There was so much power and passion in the dancing that you really couldn’t take your eyes off of either of them. They are a true power house able to strike the right technical chords as well as the emotional ones. It was as if they were one movement without any separation. I didn’t see them thinking about the dance…they just were the dance. Awesome.
Judges:
Nigel: You showed all of the passion of those reunions when they happen in September 2012 as President Obama has just announced.
Mary: A tear-streaked Mary says that this story is definitely too close. She wells up too. And hopes everyone gets to come home. Sasha, your soul, I could just feel it.
Debbie: Given such a tough job. You danced beautifully because you’re trained so well, but you had to act and make us cry which you did. We loved you…and then Debbie dissolves into tears and that’s so precious.
Spirit Fingers: Didn’t cry upon first viewing…but weeping while writing the recap. In awe. Sensational.
Dancers: Ashley & Chris
Dance Style: Broadway
Choreographer: Spencer Liff
Concept: JAIL SCENE FROM THE MOVIE CRYBABY STARRING JOHNNY DEPP
Music: Please, Mr. Jailer, Rachel Sweet
Performance: Such acrobatics from Chris. It was pretty amazing. The routine looked super hard, especially on Chris’ part having to hoist himself up on the bars and the amount of control that went into each move. Stunning. Ashley was fabulous also, such leg extension and poise. They totally both took on the characters. I wonder if Liff sent Chris home to watch Depp sneer in the movie, because he so got it.
Judges:
Nigel: A great routine. It’s so difficult take on another genre done so well by another b-boy. I hope, Chris, you’re here for many more weeks.
Mary: Hot, boiling, steam engine. Hot Tamale Train. WHOOOOHHOOOOOOOOOO! Christ.
Debbie: Jailhouse rock. Elvis made it famous but now you made it more famous.
Spirit Fingers: A great tribute to the original movie. It was creative and well danced. Much impressed with Chris this week.
So there were a few bobbles. Not every performance was perfect. There are still some standouts, but there are even more performances where you can see the effort and the mistakes. Will America get it right tonight? We’ll see.
Note: Did you guys see Alex Wong, Kathryn McCormick, Robert Roldan, Kayla Radomski and Kent Boyd in the audience? Possible All-Stars?
So You Think You Can Dance Airs Wednesday and Thursday Nights at 8pm on Fox.
