(S04E15)It's time to find out which dancers will be going on tour after So You Think You Can Dance ends this August. I'm going to put it out there now (I think it's time): I want either Joshua or Katee to win this competition. I think it would be especially nice if the girl they almost didn't put on the show won the whole sha-bang!
Other thoughts before we begin... Nigel is a little cranky lately. I don't like him chiding Cat. All she did was remind everyone to tune in to the finale. By the way, there's going to be a sick popping battle during SYTYCD's live finale. Awesome. My review of tonight's show is after the jump.
THE OPENING PERFORMANCE
"Closer" by Ne-Yo, choreography by Tabitha and Napoleon D'Umo
Great song. Great idea with the light up arms. Great choreography. But the execution...mediocre. This dance could have benefited from a few more rehearsals. The choreography deserved some more sharpness. Maybe I'm spoiled by now, but this dance was more evidence of this season's sub-par quality. The Top 12 would be schooled if they brought that performance to America's Best Dance Crew.
Courtney messed up on the floor right in the beginning. Thankfully, she was behind Gev. But I was a little disappointed. She's usually very consistent. The lit up arms needed more polish too. That was a great concept and it looked cool, but they should have drilled exactly where those elbows go.
THE RESULTS
Comfort & Thayne [BOTTOM THREE]
Katee & Joshua [SAFE]
Will & Jessica [BOTTOM THREE]
Chelsea & Mark [SAFE]
Courtney & Gev [SAFE]
Kherrington & Twitch [BOTTOM THREE]
I have to interject something here. I was floored when Mary said that if she had anything to say about it, Jessica and Will would not go home. I have never heard a judge say something that strong or that specific about the results. And I'm not saying that Mary did something wrong. In fact, I felt vindicated for Jessica when Mary pointed out how incredible her first dance was Wednesday night. I have to wonder whether Mary's statements were a response to Mia Michael's rather rude statements to Jessica and Will after their quick step. What do you think?
GUEST PERFORMANCES
I loved, loved, LOVED the piece from Revelations by the Alvin Ailey company. It was gorgeous and showed us something that we don't see in the choreography on this show: a motif. It's okay to repeat beautiful movements (like the pirouette with the arms in front of their faces and the beautiful jump with the back leg turned in and bent). And couldn't you see Will dancing with those guys? I found this quote from Ailey about how Revelations embodies the African-American experience. It's "sometimes sorrowful, sometimes jubilant, but always hopeful." I thought it was a good description of the choreography we saw tonight.
Katy Perry performed "I Kissed a Girl." It was nice to see someone NOT lip sync and actually sound decent. She looked like some bad version of Rainbow Brite though.
SOLOS
Comfort danced to "Oh Timbaland" by Timbaland. She brought it tonight. It looks like she took Nigel's warning from last week to heart. She added some cool tricks too -- I loved the walk / slide on the knees.
Thayne danced to "Come Home" by OneRepublic. It was good but more of the same from him. More of his hand stands as he floats his legs around. More of his developes. I wasn't sure that he would stay when compared to the likes of Will and Twitch.
Jessica performed to "Best for Last" to Adele. You could tell she was a bit nervous. Not that I blame her. Take the regular dose of nerves and add Mia MIchaels's scornful words and you've got one stressed out dancer up there. She was a little shaky in places, mainly when she needed to rely on her standing leg for a balance.
Will danced to "Daraijan" by Kodo. He was amazing and quirky and jagged. I loved it. Someone sign him to Ailey now. Screw So You Think You Can Dance.
Kherrington danced to "All We Are" by OneRepublic. Her danced was full of passion but I wondered if the judges would say something about all the turns. Don't get me wrong. The turns were nice (especially the fouettes into the triple, that's right a triple, pirouette) but the dance was turns and recovering from turns and preparing for turns.
Twitch danced to "We Gonna Win" by Miri Ben Ari. He was a mad conductor and he was great. Once again, I think he proved that he has the best sense of musicality of all the contestants. I felt bad that he couldn't pull off the end as well as he wanted.
THE ELIMINATIONS
Nigel told Kherrington to leave the stage right away--her dance was brilliant. He then eliminated Comfort, but he didn't forget to tell her that her solo had improved this week. They kept Jessica because while she's disappointed them, she's also responsible for some incredible performances. I was surprised. I thought for sure this was Jessica's last night. I'm sad Comfort won't be joining them on tour. Also, I think this means Mary Murphy has even more clout than we thought. Not sure if that's a bad thing or a good thing.
Next, the boys. Nigel said that he would have eliminated two girls and kept all three boys tonight. My husband said that he should have done it. He should have made Thayne and Will dance together a la Blades of Glory. But, Thayne had to go. I don't feel bad for him. Mia's going to hire him.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
7-11-2008 @ 9:24AM
Danielle said...
Knew Comfort and Thayne was going home. I think the judges really love Will and Twitch, so it was a given that Thayne was going home. Interesting on Nigel harsh comment on keeping the guys and sending home 2 of the females(knew it wouldve been Jessica). Nigel did catch me off guard when he was talking to Jessica. I thought there was going to be a surprise and she was going home..but I wasnt and Comfort was sent home.
Im SO glad they fixed Cat's hair! That curl was driving me nuts! LOL
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7-24-2008 @ 4:28PM
Rmpr said...
that NapTab closer routine was no "Elevator" maybe Naptab should call Shane SParks for tips on how to do a rockin opening number. I mean the song was right on but all of that with the shapes and lights was the lamest rountine i've ever seen! SOOOOO sad to see thayne go! i would've rather to see the two girls go but whatevs..
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7-11-2008 @ 1:42PM
Kristin Sample said...
I think it was a good first opening routine from Napoleon and Tabitha but you're right...they need to take a page out of Shane Sparks' book.
7-11-2008 @ 9:47AM
Gina said...
I agree they should have sent the two girls home and kept the two boys, they have two boys dance together at the finale anyway, there were three men dancing the Alvin Ailey number, shake it up a bit and keep the best dancers.
And for Mary Murphy, she said the same thing last year when Anya and Danny were almost eliminated the same week and wasn't able to save Anya. I think Comfort just didn't progress in the other styles that they had hoped and she was given Hip Hop this week and didn't shine with Thayne so it sealed her fate I think, that and she has been in the bottom couples practically every week since the show started. Hopefully Comfort and Thayne will get alternate spots for the tour.
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7-11-2008 @ 10:34AM
Ryan said...
I would've rather them kicked out two girls (Comfort and Jessica) and kept all the boys.
But I'm just HAPPY Gev/Courtney didn't make the bottom three! I doubted that America would reward their fantastic performances the night before, but they did. They really did. Yay!
God, I hope Jessica leaves next week. Thank God it's up to the audience now.
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7-11-2008 @ 11:20AM
Annabel said...
You totally skipped over all the hubbub surrounding Katy Perry's song...
It has sparked a huge debate everywhere over whether the song was appropriate for the show and ultimately whether the show is a 'family show' or not. Lots of families are up in arms claiming that they won't let their daughters watch the show anymore. Others are amazed that they haven't heard the song before since it's EVERWHERE right now.
I'm not really offended by the song...but I do have to admit it lacks artistic merit - it just seems to be more of a shock-value song. I would have liked to see someone a little more talented perform - or maybe even someone who dances and sings...I mean it is a dance show after all.
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7-11-2008 @ 1:43PM
Kristin Sample said...
I didn't know there was a big deal made about the song. Although now that you mention it, it's pretty obvious why some people might freak out over it.
I don't get it though--the PussyCat Dolls are fine though? I caught some of their concert on HBO and it was all little girls there.
7-11-2008 @ 11:29AM
Danielle said...
I was actually offended hearing this song...actually I first heard it when my g/f was singing it w/ her 12 yr old daughter. Ummm..hello...I dont think I would feel comfortable singing that w/ my daughter. I said something to my DH last night about this song and he totally agrees w/ me....something I wouldnt want my 12 yr old daughter singing.
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7-11-2008 @ 11:45AM
deebopalula said...
I hate the song but the darn thing is catchy. I used to dive to the radio to switch stations every time it came on as I didn't want to have the conversation I knew it would instigate with my six and seven year old daughters. But I guess I didn't get there every time because suddenly they were not only singing it, but also turning the radio up full blast when it came on. When I asked them why they liked it and what it was about they said "It's about a GUY kissing a girl" (and then they looked at me like I was an idiot). Guess they're too young to wonder why a girl is singing the song then. But between that and the Pussycat Dolls song about wanting to grow up and have "boobies", Top 40 radio is not necessarily a safe zone anymore.
Anyway..... GO COURTNEY AND GEV!!! And more, more, more Pasha (and Anya - as long as she doesn't block any camera shots of Pasha) choreography!!
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7-11-2008 @ 12:08PM
Annabel said...
Oh and what was the deal with the IV REAL shirts??
It was driving me crazy all night!
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7-11-2008 @ 12:14PM
Beaver said...
I think while Nigel was definitely pushing to have Jessica go Comfort couldn't connect with her partner. This is a huge problem and would have been a big disability to whoever had to dance with her. For that reason I'm glad that she's gone, it was starting to get hard to watch.
I can't wait to see Jessica dance with someone other than Will. Maybe she'll get the chance to show us what she's really capable of. I really like her solos and I think she's got a ton of potential without Will's magnificence distracting everyone.
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7-11-2008 @ 12:43PM
Dan said...
WHAT WERE YOU LISTENING TO? "I Kissed A Girl" sounded like one of those auditions from the first couple weeks of American Idol! When her voice wasn't being overwhelmed by the recording of her voice (if you can't hear the recorded track and the difference between that and her actual off-key voice, you shouldn't ever review any music performance) playing in the "background" her inability to hit a note made me cringe. She did, however, look quite sexy in that way too slutty outfit and the whole pin-up style. I'd never heard of the song or the singer, but it was obvious that she had nothing to do with the writing, production or marketing of it. You could go on any Junior College (cause this song is too dumb for University students) or High School, dress a cute girl up in that really slutty outfit and have her sing a karaoke version of that song and nobody would notice the difference. The fact that the song is somehow #1 on the charts is truly a sign of how stupid the masses are in this nation.
The writer of the song has produced hits for dozens of pop-stars and not a single respectable musician is on his list of "artists" helped.
As for the eliminations, I think that Kherrington and Thayne should have gone. Twitch was AMAZING, Comfort wasn't too great, but it would have been cool to see her with Twitch on a Crump or Hip-Hop routine. I think they are too sold on Kherrington because she's pretty, because she messed up last week and they gave her a pass "you're tired"...
Joshua and Katee are definitely the best, but I would love to just see the four cool guys as the final four: Gev, Twitch, Joshua and Mark.
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7-11-2008 @ 1:41PM
Kristin Sample said...
Whoa, Dan. I'm sorry I said I thought she was okay. I thought she was better than the PussyCat Strippers.
7-11-2008 @ 12:48PM
Dan said...
Also, it's a sad day when groups like the Pussycat Dolls can have anything more than a strip-club audience. What happened to music in the last 10 years? In the 90s we had real hip-hop being WRITTEN, actual rock and punk music with credibility and even good R&B and Soul on the top 40. Now it's "songs" that are "written" by a team of record execs shopped around to various "singers" until someone bites ("Umbrella" was offered to about 5 different people before Rhianna took it) without any kind of uniqueness or intelligence whatsoever. If you contribute to the sales of this kind of crap, shame on you. It's pathetic.
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7-11-2008 @ 12:38PM
Laura said...
I knew Comfort and Thane would be leaving even before they announced the bottom three. I'm glad Jessica will be dancing with someone else now. Maybe then the judges will see that Will is great alone, but he's not the best thing since sliced bread when he partners.
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7-11-2008 @ 1:41PM
Dawn said...
I'm glad Comfort is gone. She was waaay over rated.
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7-11-2008 @ 2:21PM
01Zero said...
Thank you Kristin for us about the Pussycat Dolls performance. Anyone who was 'shocked' or 'offended' by Katy Perry's performance obviously has no problem with T&A or the leather pants and bustieres that (barely) contain them.
And as to the question of whether the program is "family friendly," by definition it is not: the Family Viewing Hour is the 1st hour of prime time, 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM (and while the legal enforcement was declared unconstitutional, many networks still adhere to the idea). After 9:00 PM, there is no guarantee nor any requirement that programming will be "family friendly." Closed minds should click with care thereafter.
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7-14-2008 @ 1:35PM
Sarah said...
i completely agree. and as for deebopalula's comment about
"I used to dive to the radio to switch stations every time it came on as I didn't want to have the conversation I knew it would instigate with my six and seven year old daughters."
why wouldn't you want to have that conversation with your daughters? isn't that kind of your job as a parent? understandably, theyre young, but in 2008 they are going to come in contact with all types of lifestyles. as a parent, it is your job to educate your kids, not cover their eyes.
also, Kristin, about Mary's comment, i think it was directed more to the fact that she is tired of Jessica being in the bottom. although Mia made that scathing comment the night before, she never said that Jessica didnt deserve to be on the show and should be voted off. she said it more as a wake up call and that she and Will were ill suited. just my take, though. but, i agree with everything else. they group dance sucked, even though the song had great potential. and, it does seem Nigel has been in a bad mood, but i would too, judging how this season, while packed with talent, is proving to be lackluster.
7-11-2008 @ 2:25PM
Jessica said...
I wasn't surprised about the two eliminations either. Unless Jessica can really pull some serious magic out of her hat, she will be going home next week.
Twitch's solo was awesome! My boys and I watched it a few times. Will really is a great dancer. Wow. I loved his solo too. Comfort's was basically the same old thing for me. She was told to use the stage more so she ran across most of it and did the one cool move of gliding on her knees. Thayne was basically the same as last week. Kherington, while she is one of my favs, her solo seemed a little messy. She didn't look as polished as she does in the choreographed routines. Jessica's was OK, but she can do better-we've seen her do better!
Oh, next week is going to be tough for the guys. I am not ready to see any one of them voted off the show.
I just love So You Think You Can DANCE Dance dance.
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7-11-2008 @ 2:48PM
Tammy said...
Well you have to remember they take alternates on tour with them so it won't necessarily be Thayne and Comfort but it could be. Last year I'm thinking it was Hok and Anya because they wanted to showcase certain routines and needed them to complete them.... ie Hok's Bird number. Don't be surprised if Nigel doesn't announce this another week as a promotion for the tour. The problem is this year there really haven't been that many stand out pairs numbers that aren't already from the Top 10 dancers so it might come down to some of the group numbers they want to perform and what they need, how hard certain dancers work and take direction, etc.
Yes, I'm sad to see Thayne go, his smile was infectious but he wasn't the strongest contemporary male dancer this year. I would have prefered Jessica over Comfort because I think Comfort had a stronger body of work and had grown more this season than Jessica. I'm sure it came down to Jessica had a stronger perormance in her first number Wed night and Comfort had gotten weaker... it's all about when you peak in performance.
I am all about Gev after his solo last week. I adore him and hopefully he won't get a partner next week that is a foot taller than him! He was already one of my favorites but he's #1 now.
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