So You Think You Can Dance: The Top Ten Perform

Dance Legends, Mad Max Extras, and Washed Up Boats – all on tonight’s episode of So You Think You Can Dance.

• Cat is looking like a disco queen tonight, decked out in a sparkly gold dress. Perhaps she wore that dress to the premiere of the new movie Mamma Mia? (not to be confused with this show’s Mamma Mia – as she described herself in a recent interview.) Tonight’s guest judge is Lil’ C. In lieu of tiring my fingers out from pausing the DVR and doing extra typing, I’ll refer you here for tonight’s track list.

• The show doesn’t waste any time getting to the big announcement which was all over the internet this week: Jessica is dropping out of the competition because of an injury: she “broke two ribs and fractured one.” 😦 She does hope to be back in time for the tour. So, since Jessica is out… Comfort is back in.

• The other big change this week, the couples we know and love have been broken up. Let’s get to it.

Joshua and Courtney – Hip Hop (Dave Scott)

Hmm… my favorite guy and least favorite girl. And I loved it! Joshua was great – loved his facial expressions and how he was totally invested in the role of the hip hoppin’ mad scientist. Courtney held her own. I liked her different look. They danced well together.

• Lil’ C: “Joshua, you killed it… Courtney, you did good!” He thought they made it their own and added so much character. I agree!
• Mary: She thinks they had great chemistry, and enjoyed Dave Scott’s comedy. “Joshua, you stole the show for me right now.” I agree. I couldn’t take my eyes off of him.
• Nigel: “That’s the first time I’ve seen Dr. Frankenstein spank his monster.” He liked Courtney’s character, but didn’t think as much of her dancing.

Joshua and Courtney – The Rumba (Jean Marc and France Genereaux)

They recycled the wardrobe with Courtney’s half dress and Joshua’s famed tight pants from previous weeks. And the song couldn’t have been cheesier than Enrique’s overdramatic, wispy “Hero.” Thankfully they rose above the song with a smooth, sexy dance. They were terrific until that last lift, when it looked like Joshua couldn’t quite keep his grip on Courtney to raise her up. This dance reminded me of Dominic and Sabra’s Rumba from last season. That routine also featured a song that I normally wouldn’t like.

• Lil’ C: “I might need my asthma pump. You took my breath away.” He felt a “sensual innocence” in the routine, and “so much valor” from Joshua. He did notice Joshua’s hesitancy with the lift, but thought he nailed it.
• Mary: She felt “extra energy, subtle sexiness.” “Fantastic!”
• Nigel: He thought the choreography “fit their bodies beautifully.” Well said. He thanked Joshua for “keeping what’s left of his shirt on,” which led to some cute banter.

Kherington and Mark – Two Step (Ronnie and Brandy, and their unborn child, apparently)

Country two step is low on my list of dance styles, so it will take a lot to impress me. And, I wasn’t impressed. Kherington’s outfit made her look like a dance line girl more than a country two stepper, and I didn’t like Mark as a cowboy. I wasn’t buying their partnership. It seemed shaky, they were uncertain about the choreography, and the whole routine felt disjointed.

• Lil’ C: He thought the audience could see the wounds, that were really deep, from their missed steps.
• Mary: She thought it was tough, they didn’t do well technically, and that Mark had a better connection than Kherington.
• Nigel: This type of routine requires the partners “to have complete faith in each other.” He put most of the blame on Kherington. “You looked uncomfortable.” Indeed.

Kherington and Mark – Jazz (Tyce Diorio)

There’s no story, just style, and lots of sliding. I wonder if the audience will connect with that. They looked like extras from Mad Max in their piecemeal, tattered, post-apocalyptic clothing. The dancing was okay, but lacked in the entertainment department.

• Lil’ C: He wanted a little more confidence.
• Mary: “I’m not jumping out of my seat right now.”
• Nigel: “It was a little bit like a driving test for me.” Like checking items off a list. “No heart, no passion, nothing outstanding.” I agree.

Comfort and Twitch – Smooth Waltz (Hunter Johnson)

I was distracted by how Comfort’s dress kept bunching up. Shouldn’t it be flowing for a waltz? The dance seemed more jerky than a smooth waltz should be. Twitch seemed stiff. Comfort was a little better than him, but it wasn’t any better than mediocre.

• Lil’ C: “A lot of your steps, you weren’t floating.” Just what I was saying.
• Mary: (Shaking her head “no”) “It’s just lacking so much power at this point.” “Choppy.” “Clunky.” “The quality of movement was just not there.”
• Nigel: “It certainly wasn’t strong enough for a top ten dancer.” But he complimented them on the majestic lift that they succeeded on at the end.

Comfort and Twitch – Hip Hop (Dave Scott)

Dave Scott calls this “Studio 64 in 2085.” This was a solid routine, despite the homemade looking clothing that the wardrobe department put together (spray painted jeans, various pageant sashes, pieces of broken glass, etc.). They looked like they were having fun. I didn’t love it as much as the judges did, but I’m glad they had such nice things to say to Comfort.

• Lil’ C: “That was kind of buck.”
• Mary: She, too, thought it was buck.
• Nigel: He thought they were “dancing for the joy of it.”

Katee and Will – Broadway (Tyce Diorio)

She’s supposed to be a promiscuous gypsy girl. The boat prop wasn’t doing much for me. In fact, there wasn’t much boat rockin’ going on until Will ripped open his shirt toward the end. Could him going shirtless be enough to keep him ahead of the competition? Possibly. It was cute, but not outstanding. Here come all the boat metaphors…

• Lil’ C: “You guys were explosive in character, and even more explosive in the choreography.” “You rocked my boat.”
• Mary: “I’m hoppin’ on the love boat with this number, yes I am!” “Katee, you’re cute as a button.” She thought Will left his serious side on the sidelines tonight. I agree with that.
• Nigel: “It was terrific.” He got great things from two technically great dancers.

Katee and Will – Pas de Deux (Desmond Richardson and Dwight Rhoden)

This was the first pas de deux featured on the show, and I really enjoyed it. It was graceful, beautiful, and fluid, and it continued the trend of Will going shirtless. My only problem with it was the music. I don’t mind listening to David Archuleta’s version of “Imagine,” but why the awkward pause and shift in the music halfway through? I was so distracted that I couldn’t enjoy part of the routine. As for Katee, I’m really impressed with her after tonight. She’s no fluke, and it wasn’t just Joshua that was making her look good. She may be the most versatile, talented girl left on the show. Will and Katee may have been the best pairing tonight. They complemented each other.

• Lil’ C: “You guys danced with so much commitment and passion and vigor and fervor… You delivered.”
• Mary: “Two of the most beautiful dancers I have ever seen.”
• Nigel: First he had to do some damage control, because Lil’ C failed to credit one of the choreographers. I’m glad he praised Desmond, because I’d hate for anything to keep him and Dwight from coming back on the show. I really enjoyed this routine! As for the dancing, he hasn’t seen “such wonderful dancing on the show, certainly this season, but in the past as well,” as he saw from them tonight.

Chelsie and Gev – Contemporary (Sonya Tayeh)

This dance is about how soulmates feel when they are apart, yearning for each other. Chelsie and Gev worked well together. I believed their emotion and chemistry. I liked how it incorporated some of Gev’s unusual moves. My favorite of the night so far, perhaps, and the best that I’ve seen Gev.

• Lil’ C: This routine made him feel something. “You guys really committed… I could actually feel you yearning for him.” “Gev, you did look like you were more prepared to do a contemporary piece.”
• Mary: “Sonya brought out something that could give you amazing chemistry together.” I agree!
• Nigel: He thought Gev lacked a little passion (“I think you had Courtney on your mind.”) Complimented Chelsie for winning Gev over by the end. I think Nigel missed the point of the dance.

Chelsie and Gev – The Jive (Jean Marc and France Genereaux)

This was billed as “Formula One fast,” and that it was. There was plenty of booty shakin’ and high steppin’. Gev looked lost a couple of times – he couldn’t keep up with Chelsie. But, it was a fun way to end the night.

• Lil’ C: “She out stepped you, Gev.” He thinks Chelsie could make a mannequin look good. What is it with ball room dancers and mannequins on this show?
• Mary: She thought it was great, but “too much concentration” from Gev.
• Nigel: “The energy levels were there… Chelsie you were outstanding.” He thought they did a mostly great job.

Solos

• Chelsie – So so, as most ballroom solos are, since it’s a partner dance. Will we ever forget Pasha’s ill-fated solo last season when he danced with a mannequin? Ouch.
• Gev – He’s like an illusionist with some of his moves! He is my favorite soloist so far this season.
• Courtney – She brought a lot of energy and power. Pretty impressive.
• Mark – He’s so weird, and I love it! “Bohemian Rhapsody” was an appropriate song for him to dance to.
• Comfort – Maybe it’s just because we’ve seen her perform solo so much, but it seemed like more of the same. I was bored.
• Twitch – Fun and funky, with some cool slow motion moves. I must say, though, that I’m getting tired of his gimmicks – the dorky glasses and his Super Twitch shirts need to take a back seat to him.
• Katee – She has a beautiful spirit that comes across while she dances, and her movement was also beautiful to watch.
• Will – He used the stage well and had some impressive leaps, but it wasn’t his most powerful solo.
• Kherington – This solo seemed tired and slow, especially compared to some of the other ones. Kherington seemed out of sorts tonight, and was particularly lackadaisical here.
• Joshua – This solo had some “wow” moments, and lots of energy, as does everything where Joshua is concerned.

Best Solos:

• Mark
• Katee

Worst Solos: (I thought all the guys did pretty well, but if I had to pick one for this list, I’d go with Twitch.)

• Kherington
• Comfort

Best Couple Performances:

• Katee and Will’s Pas de Deux
• Chelsie and Gev’s Contemporary
• Joshua and Courtney’s Rumba

Worst Couple Performances:

• Kherington and Mark’s Two Step
• Kherington and Mark’s Jazz
• Comfort and Twitch’s Smooth Waltz

The person who least impressed me tonight was Kherington. I don’t know if she just had an off night, or if she’s getting burned out, but she could be in danger Thursday night. She and Mark had, in my opinion, the worst partnership of the night. Katee and Will most benefited from the new pairings, followed closely by Courtney and Joshua. Realistically, Comfort is most likely going home, but it’s a tough one with the guys. My guess is either Gev or Twitch.

Is it just me, or was this like the longest post ever! Signing off…

Related Post:

• So You Think You Can Dance: The Top 12 Perform