So You Think You Can Dance Episode Recap: The Top 6 Perform
Next week is finale week — where has the time gone? Who do you want to see make it into the Final 4, and more importantly, who is your favorite dancer? Let's get to it.
You know how I feel about Cat. I actually got to meet her (briefly, oh so briefly) last week and my esteem could not be higher. She is so lovely in person and talks about these dancers as if there were her own children. She's such a class act. And so cute too — both inside and out. Loving her simple dress, hair, and makeup.
Our panel this week includes: Lil C, Mary, and Nigel. Cat asks Lil C to pontificate on the preferences of the population. He says it's all about the public's preferences now. It was tough for Mary to see Janette leave last week. She wants to give the audience some advice: think all the way back to the auditions and standout performances from throughout the season and vote from your heart. Nigel's advice to the dancers is to bring personality out now. It's been of an equal standard; no one has popped. They've got to stand out now. A lot of the voting is about choreography or routines. There is such a high standard of dancing that it's hard for the public to decide who they like.
Let's get to the dancing:
Group Dance: Brandon, Evan, and Ade
Choreographer/Dance: Sonya Tayeh/Jazz
Rehearsal: It's Willy Wonka-esque. Sonya is inspired by the fashion and intention of it. Evan thinks the movement is weird and abstract. Ade thinks it's very "in the ground" strong. Brandon is a little worried that there's only three of them on the stage. Evan is surprised by the power. Sonya thinks the piece will be unstoppable and unforgettable.
Title/Artist: "True Romance"/She Wants Revenge
Performance: Nice strength and expression of movement so far. Looks pretty great. They're all so strong. Very nice jumps, nice lines, nice everything. Great in-synch work. I'm feeling Evan isn't quite as strong as the other two but he's keeping up pretty credibly. Great job. Nice start to our evening.
Judges critiques: Lil C has wanted to see Brandon and Ade in the same piece since the top of the season. Brandon is so dedicated; he's finding himself with each challenge he gets. Ade is still proving it for him; everyone should still watch out for him. Evan doesn't get swallowed by the dominant excellence of the other two guys. He commends Evan for staying very visible throughout. Mary loves it. She commends all of them. This shows why they're standing there together tonight. Nigel says Evan stands out because he's never seen Evan attempt anything like this. Shows that Sonya was inspired to use these three.
Jeanine and Ade
Jeanine's wanted to work with Ade, so she's excited and relieved. Ade thinks Jeanine's loud and he loves her energy. She thinks he's the strongest partner in the competition.
Choreographer/Dance: Louis van Amstel/Samba
Rehearsal: This isn't a traditional samba. Jeanine thinks the routine is suggestive but still classy. Ade feels they're pushing the envelope with sexiness but he kinda likes it. They're sort of stumbling through rehearsals. Yikes.
Title/Artist: "LoveGame"/Lady Gaga
Performance: It's fun so far; great beginning They're selling the sexy but not crossing any lines...yet. Nice use of the stage. It could have been hotter. It was hard to look away from Jeanine, so I'm not even sure I can comment on Ade's performance. Jeanine was pretty awesome.
Judge's critiques: Mary thinks the first 15 seconds of the piece is incredible and dynamic. In the thick of the dancing it started to fall apart. Ade is hopping around that floor. They weren't rollingTo make it to the next round they have to be hot — with the way they look and the way they dance. Lil C thinks Jeanine looks amazing. He was excited about this partnership. Didn't get that explosion of excellence. Maybe his expectations were too high. Nigel reminds Ade to change his style with every new routine. Jeanine looks beautiful; did everything with confidence. She just went for it and looked great. Gives props to Louis Van Amstel.
Solo: Kayla
Title/Artist: "You Found Me"/The Fray
She flailing about just a little touch much for me. You know I love her though. I think simpler would have served her better.
Melissa and Evan
Melissa is excited about Evan. He's got a great personality and he's done really well. Evan thinks Melissa is a great partner; she compliments her partner and makes them look good. Melissa thinks they might be height challenged as she'll probably be wearing heels.
Choreographer/Dance: Tyce Diorio/Broadway
Rehearsal: The piece is titled: Get Me to the Church on Time. Evan is the nervous groom who has overslept. Melissa is a blushing bride ready to get married. Evan is not only dancing with a married woman, but marrying her too. Evan is so into this style. It's cute to see Evan making Melissa laugh. Tyce says Evan is the dream for this style and they need to have tons of fun with it.
Title/Artist: "Get Me to the Church on Time (from My Fair Lady)"/Matt Dusk
Performance: You can see how much fun Evan is having here; it's great. Tyce has given our resident ballerina some great moves to show off those amazing legs. This piece is really all about Evan for me. He's so much fun in his own style. Even though I'm really enjoying Evan, something is lacking in the piece for me. But I don't love Broadway.
Judge's critiques: Lil C was excited for the routine but didn't feel like Evan took the helm. He expected so much. They dance it and perform it good but didn't shoot for excellence. Was missing an element. Wants to see Evan go for an A plus. Mary thinks this may get them to the finale on time. Really fun and entertaining. Dancing was really good. Nice to see Evan in his own style. Melissa really came to life tonight; hasn't taken a wrong step. Nigel says Melissa has adapted to every routine she's been given; good work. The routine wasn't demanding technically but it was demanding on their personalities. For him, they brought enough to it.
Solo: Ade
Title/Artist: "18th Floor Balcony"/Blue October
As always, great height to jumps. Nice power. I think I'm coming over to the side to those of you who don't love the stop-and-start movement of his solos. I would have liked to see him dance more cleanly and fluidly.
Kayla and Brandon
Kayla thinks Brandon is a strong dancer and is excited to dance with him. Brandon is excited because Kayla has been on the hot tamale train the whole time; she's a great package.
Choreographer/Dance: Stacey Tookey/Contemporary
Rehearsal: It's about a mistress to who doesn't have the strength to leave her married boyfriend. They need to make the emotion believable. Stacey is pulling everything out. A lot of technique and intricate partnering. It has to be intense. The movement is very consistent; no time to breathe. It could be really amazing.
Title/Artist: "All I Want"/Ahn Trio
Performance: I wish the lighting was better because I want to see every little thing they're doing as well as their faces. Amazing so far. Loving it. Very interesting and unique movement. They're making great shapes across the floor. Pretty impressive.
Judge's critiques: Lil C says that it was really, really, really intense and beyond amazing. Since the beginning of the competition, Kayla's been such a beast that her partners have been at a disadvantage. She's evenly matched here. Mary says Brandon is on the hot tamale train in first class. Dancing was brilliant. Kayla has never taken a wrong step for her. Nigel tells us what a star Stacey Tookey is. Beautifully choreographed and constructed. Would have liked to see them dance together sooner. Not sure they've cemented chemistry but the technique was brilliant.
Solo: Melissa
Title/Artist: "I Put a Spell on You"/Nina Simone
She picked a great piece of music and choreographed her dancing to it almost perfectly. I thought it was magical.
Jeanine and Ade
To be in the finale would be the most unanticipated success of Jeanine's life. She auditioned on a whim. For Ade, it would mean the world for him. He's so close. He wants to be in the top 4 and be America's favorite dancer.
Choreographer/Dance: NappyTabs/Hip-hop
Rehearsal: Jeanine's swagger walk isn't exciting. The piece is about friends getting kicked out of their apartment. They're mad about getting evicted. Jeanine is struggling; doesn't want to fall on stage.
Title/Artist: "Move (If You Wanna)"/Mimms
Performance: I like that they start the piece offstage. I think NappyTabs are relying way too much on props this season. After they get rid of the props, it gets more exciting. Very nice. Pretty hard hitting, although I've seen other dancers hit it harder — namely Phillip but it's almost criminal to compare anyone to him. Enjoyed it.
Judge's critiques: Lil C wishes moving was always that much fun. They danced the piece way better than he thought they were. Ade has a dirty kind of grove; it's real earthy. He immersed himself in it. He pulled Jeanine down. It was buck. Mary wants to say Jeanine was terrific in the Samba and she forgot to say that to her. All the judges admit to getting eviction notices but Mary doesn't think they'll be evicted after that. Ade was getting down. Tremendous. Nigel thinks the judges could have been applauding the piece and not the dancers if they hadn't gotten down. Nigel didn't expect that from Jeanine at all. Ade finally went there for him.
Solo: Brandon
Artist/Title: "O'Fortuna (from Carmina Burana)"/Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg & Kurt Prestel
This is his audition piece and it's awesome. I love the music and I love his performance. The judges give him a standing ovation. Is it weird that I want him to be wearing just a little bit more clothing? Just a little.
Nigel says that's one of the best solos they've ever seen on the show.
Melissa and Evan
It would be unbelievable for Melissa to be in the finale. She's never done any other style; she's proud of herself for making it so far. It's in Evan's grasp now. He knows he's gotta bring it.
Rehearsal: The Quick step is dreaded because it's really fast and people might not appreciate how hard it is. Louis is being tough on them. Melissa doesn't completely trust Evan as a partner yet and it show. Evan's got three days to get a six pack. They 've created an illusion of height. Louis is a magician.
Choreographer/Dance: Louis van Amstel/Quick step
Title/Artist: "As Long As I'm Singin'"/The Brian Setzer Orchestra
Performance: They should be nervous as I'm not sure audiences really appreciate this style. I've been known to enjoy this style but I didn't love it; we've definitely seen this done better in seasons past. They both look elegant and from what I can tell their footwork is solid. Nice partner work. I didn't have big expectations so I found it enjoyable.
Judge's critiques: Lil C commends Evan for dancing bigger then he's ever danced on the show for him. Needs to work on his retractions like Nigel advised him to do earlier in the season. Melissa looks fabulous and she did a fabulous job. Fabulous. Mary says Louis created another unbelievable routine. This is such a tough dance. It had more life to it in the beginning. Everything started to crumble and fall apart as it went on. Mary's a little disappointed right now. Didn't live up to her expectations. Nigel tells Melissa she's young and extremely talented. The only time that it went down is when they went into the Lindy Hop section in the middle. Was it one of the best routines tonight? No. They may have the country wondering who to vote for after that.
Solo: Jeanine
Title/Artist: "Feedback"/Janet Jackson
I'm a fan of her technique and great lines. I think we don't notice her legs as much because they're not as long as Kayla's of Melissa's but she's pretty amazing.
Solo: Evan
Title/Artist: "Lady Is a Tramp"/Sammy Davis, Jr.
He remains amazing in his own style. Great tumbling pass at the beginning. I really enjoyed it. He's a little, shining star.
Kayla and Brandon
For Brandon, being in the top four would prove that he really is a great dancer. He's already grown as a person by making it this far in the competition. Kayla has worked so hard to get to the show and even harder on the show. It would mean everything to her.
Choreographer/Dance: Doriana Sanchez/Disco
Rehearsal: It's about fun and energy and seeing if they can top themselves. Doriana wants to see Brandon get on the ground and do pushups. The piece is more circus then disco. Doriana really wants to challenge them and raise their game. It'll be challenging, fun, and exciting.
Title/Artist: "Dance (Disco Heat)"/Sylvester
Performance: Disco can also be a killer but they look they're having so much fun. Great acrobatics all around. Great upside down lift. Some of the transitions out of the lifts are a bit rocky but it's not hugely noticeable. Great energy throughout. Great tricks. Fun ending. I think they lost a little bit of energy at the end but I'm still really impressed.
Judge's critiques: Lil C says being out of your comfort zone can represent darkness. They have to see the music with their ears and when that happens there is no darkness. He sees no darkness. Liked Kayla's little groove at the beginning. Thanks Brandon for being there for Kayla. They are making each other better. Has never seen the double death drop; he got tired watching them. Mary calls that a home run. She knows it wasn't easy. Kayla got her groove on. Mary doesn't understand why Brandon has self esteem problems. He's a first class hot tamale. Kayla's still on the train. Nigel wants to be sensible about this so he jumps up and screams. This is what the show is all about. The diversity of this is fantastic. Wishes them luck. His fingers are crossed.
Group Dance: Melissa, Kayla, and Jeanine
Choreographer/Dance: Sonya Tayeh/Contemporary
Rehearsal: It's about superheroes; Sonya wishes they really existed. Sonya thinks the girls are different yet the same. Beautiful lines; strengths are different. Kayla is Storm. Jeanine is Wonder Woman. Melissa is Buttercup. The piece is like running a marathon. Being in synch is important because the movement is so sharp.
Title/Artist: "Kick It (Stereoheroes Remix)"/Nina Martine
Performance: Jeanine seems to be featured more then the others. Actually, they look like they're all getting little featured solos, so I'll forgive Sonya. Nope, wong again. Melissa isn't getting as much time as the other two. I'm looking at Jeanine and Kayla more anyway so I kind of don't mind. Great lines, great movement. Nice use of the stage. Very Sonya and very nice.
Judge's critiques: Lil C commends Sonya. Very interesting to him. Has to look at the synchronicity but they still have to shine. They've still got to eat because the stage is their bowl. They didn't really go for the gusto; they were being too courteous. Needs to see some buckness. Excellent routine. Needs more than amazing right now. Mary thinks they are the epitome for strong, flexible, sexy dancers. Kayla stood out for her. Good job. Nigel loves the fact that they began the show with a trio and finished the show in the same way. Loves the chemistry; strength is equal for him. Choreography stood out. You can't tie down talent, can you? Routine is fantastic. They are super dancers.
I'm happy Louis van Amstel is back in the mix. I missed him! I'm also glad we're seeing more of Stacey Tookey. I think she's amazing. And on to a totally random topic: Did I miss it or did they talk about why we haven't seen Krumping this season? I think Nigel was a fan and then it fell out of favor with him. I know that style is Lil C's specialty and if he's not there to choreograph that or a hip-hop piece, it's a little strange to have him there as a judge. I personally enjoy his critiques even though it's impossible for me to get it all down in the space I have allotted. I know we've had other judges who don't choreograph — Toni Basil and Debbie Allen to name a few — but they didn't start out as choreographers on this show then get a "promotion" to the judges table. And if I'm calling Lil C out and I guess I'll have to call Adam Shankman out too. I think Adam's been off making movies so I'll give him a pass. And I'm not mad at Lil C either, but it did get me thinking. I'd love to see them bring Krumping back. Thoughts? Reactions?
My top four is: Kayla, Brandon, Jeanine, and Evan. I love Melissa and Ade but I would have been ok with them leaving last week.
Did you vote?
Let me know your thoughts. What have been your favorite routines of the season so far? Check back soon and we'll tell you ours.
