SYTYCD

[alonewiththemoon]

Overall, I was impressed with most of the dancers last night.  If certain dancers are booted, I think this will be a very strong top ten this year.  I'm seeing more potential in most of the men than in the women, but maybe that's partly force of personality for these individuals.

Kherington and Twitch's hip hop--obviously Twitch was going to rock this one, and he did.  Kherington did very well too though, throwing herself into the movements with an oomph I wasn't sure she had.  I agree that her stops need more work but she captured the attitude fairly well, though she smiled a bit too much for an escaped convict.  Thanks to judge Adam Shankman for shutting up Mary Murphy by kissing her.

Courtney and Gev's rhumba--they have great couple dynamics, but this somewhat bored me.  Maybe that's more the choreographer's fault than the dancers'.  Or possibly I just don't really like rhumba when there aren't veils involved (belly dancer joke). 

Comfort and Chris' Afro-jazz number--Chris is just totally dragging Comfort down.  I would really like to see him go home this week so that she can get a new partner.  He just doesn't seem capable of breaking out of his own dance style with any degree of conviction.  With "The Beautiful People" as the music, he reminded me of nothing so much as that white hat at the goth club trying to look like he knows what he's doing.  Even the makeup looked wrong on him, like it was just sitting there waiting for a chance to jump off.  Comfort was clearly enthusiastic about the number and about the African influenced movements, and when she danced alone she was great.  But as soon as they were together, it became choreography, not dancing.

Jessica and Will's disco--I never find I have very much to say about the disco numbers.  At times it looked stagey but at other times they did look more relaxed.  Will must be very strong and Jessica very fearless, with all those lifts and holds.

Kourtni L and Matt's contemporary--new choreographer!  I like her, with her big black mohawk and tattoos, not to mention her dance ideas.  The superheroes fighting and falling in love was a cool concept and Kourtni and Matt really sank their teeth into it, rather literally.  I think Kourtni and Matt are very well suited together.  Even apart from their both being tall, I think they compliment each other well.  Kourtni's kookiness has loosened Matt up a bit and Matt's strength and technique has given Kourtni a solid base to work with.  Matt was one I didn't think much of at first but impresses me more with each show.  I like Kourtni's neck tattoo.

Chelsea T and Thayne's quickstep--well, A for effort, I guess.  They looked rather panic stricken out there, understandably, and you could smell the smoke coming from their brains from thinking so hard.  It didn't strike me as a terribly interesting choreography, either.  Why did they end the opposite side of the stage from the judges?  Anyway, not impressed.  Bottom three prediction.

Chelsie H and Mark's hip hop--this is another couple that I think plays well to each other's strengths.  Chelsie on her own would be pretty conventional and boring but Mark shakes her up.  Mark on his own might take the quirkiness too far but she keeps him in the choreography with her.  Very nice choreography on this one.  I like Napoleon and Tabitha's story telling hip hop, and Mark and Chelsie made it very moving.

Katee and Joshua's samba--they definitely are one of the highest energy couples on the show, between last week's Broadway and this week's samba.  I think the samba that I like to watch is what the show would probably call street samba, so I wanted to see more abandon and less restraint int heir movements.  But still, they were strong.  Joshua is a much better dancer than Katee but she dances her feet off keeping up and mostly succeeds.  Costuming quibble--that style of dress doesn't really work for her and it didn't seem to fit all that well, almost baggy on the fabric side and oddly positioned on the sequin side.

So I would guess this week's bottom three will be Comfort and Chris, Chelsea T and Thayne and, hmmm... I would put Courtney and Gev, but not really because I thought they were bad, only because I thought the others were so strong.  I really think Chris should go home, not just because I want to see Comfort with a new partner but because I think he is showing himself unable to fulfill one of the premises of the show, which is to demonstrate that a dancer can move from style to style with ease.