So You Think You Can Dance - 11.24.09

Tonight, each couple will have two dances.  The fun never ends.

Cat is in a sweet teal dress tonight, and it looks like she made up with hair and makeup people, because she looks lovely.  Mary is again downright demure in her dress, and I have to say, it's a relief.  Next week, couples start getting mixed up.  Awesome.

Ellenore & Ryan (Lindy Hop, choreographed by Carla Heiney, new choreographer, I've Got to Be a Rug Cutter, by the Boilmaker Jazz Club)  Ellenore is going to miss the perfectionism and buffness of Ryan.  He'll miss her fun quirkiness.  What a fun dance for their  last week together.  He swung her around like crazy and they got a chance to show some personality.  I kind of loved it.  There was an awesome portion where he was swinging through his leggs over and over again, and I loved it.  Great job.  Adam called it a fantastic start to the show, and called them cute as all get out.  Ryan apparently hurt his back this week, and still managed to lift her with no troubles.  Apparently the move I loved is called a coffee grinder.  Nice to know.  He said he felt the party.  Mary thought it was tremendous and loved the new choreographer.  She thought they captured the right feel, and the partnership was perfect.  Nigel thought it was terrible... that the show haven't had the lindy hop in three seasons.  The beginning of that critique had the poor dancer's jaws dropping.  He loved that they both got the spirit of the dance.


Kathryn & Legacy (Jazz, choreographed by Sonya, So Deep by Hot Chip) Legacy will miss the help that Kathryn has given him in his technique.  She's going to miss his character.  Sonya used Legacy's skills to their highest.  He is playing a guy who loves his woman so much he just has to quiver whenever he sees her,  He got to do some breaking, which was cool.  Kathryn was basically a bendy and flippy joy.  She teased him a little and it was cool.  Very well done.  Adam loved the routine, and loved how she used his B-Boy skills in the routine.  Mary loved his crab walks in the beginning (and so did I).  She thought Sonya was very clever, and thought the dancing in between the tricks was really great.  She also thought that Kathryn was a marvel.  She then screeched.  *sigh*  Nigel declared it one of his favorite routines of the season, and thought that Kathryn was very sexy without pushing it.  He admitted that he didn't think that Legacy had a lot of musicality in Vegas, but tonight he was dancing bloody well.  I agree.

Karen & Victor (Tango, choreographed by Melanie Lapatin & Tony Meredith, Montserat) Victor is excited about working with Karen because she's got a first class seat on the hot tamale train.  Karen is looking forward to being able to speak Spanish with him.  They are both super sparkly.  I was a bit distracted by their shininess, actually.  Karen got back to her sexy ways, and I thought that Victor danced strongly with her.  I still think she is the far stronger dancer.  I would have liked to have seen more fast footwork,  I like that in my tango.  Adam thought their new partnership worked out really well.  He thought that it was really great for Victor, and thought that Karen embraced the stillness and the energy and thought they had hot chemistry.  Mary was hugely surprised by Victor, and thought he had the right stature right off the bat.  She also thought that Karen looked tremendous.  She did not put Victor on the train with Karen, but thought he was picking up steam.  Nigel loved to see the intensity between them, but worried that Victor stuck his bum out too much and looked a bit like Donald Duck at times.  Other than that, he thought she was great.  Nigel thinks that Karen has a quality like Shakira and Jennifer Lopez - that Have to Watch Them quality.  I thought that they were very good.


Mollee & Nathan (Hip hop, choreographed by Jamal Sims, Ring-A-Ling, by The Black Eyed Peas) Nathan will miss Mollee's constant laugh.  Mollee will miss Nathan's weird noises that he blurts out constantly. The story is when Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone.  Interesting.   I think it is the most I have ever liked them.  Mollee still annoys me, though.  I was more impressed with Nathan. Nathan split his pants.  Mollee apparently hurt her ankle this week, but Adam thought they sold it.  He thought that Nathan really loved doing hip hop, but he could see some of the stress on Mollee's face.  Mary thought it picked up steam as it went along.  There was a bobble when Nathan picked Mollee up off the floor, and said it was fun, and "mostly" synchronized.  Nigel thought it was danced a little twee, and I agree.  Mollee looked like a cheerleader trying to do hip hop to me.  He is looking forward to them getting split up as partners.

Noelle & Russell (Samba, choreographed by Tony Meredith & Melanie Lapatin, Hips Don't Lie, by Shakira) Noelle will miss how laid back Russell is.  He will miss her affection.  I'm kind of sick of Noells, too.  Anyhow, I think that Russell did an amazing job with the moves, and his hip action was impressive to me.  Noelle did a pretty good job, too, but I was more impressed with Russell.  He was dancing in heels, people.  Heels.  A crumper in heels.  Adam enjoyed the character, but thought it was too nice (I agree).  Mary thought that some of the lower body work was a little shallow and skating, but thought the performance was phenomenal.  She thought that Noelle didn't settle into it as well as Russell.  Nigel brought up that Shakira (who is going to be on the show tomorrow) oozes sex, but it felt like Noelle was almost clinical.  He thought that Russell didn't go far enough forward on the samba roll, but still can't believe that he hasn't had any other lessons.  I think Nigel thinks they are in trouble.  And no one mentioned the heels on Russell.

Ashleigh & Jakob (Lyrical Jazz, choreographed by Sonya, Time Flies by Lykke Li)  Ashleigh will miss the friendship with Jakob.  Jakob couldn't put into words how much he would miss Ashleigh.  Jakob got some chances to leap, and he did so beautifully.  Both of them just have astounding extension and flexibility.  I loved the whole thing.  Sonya knows how to take her dancer's abilities and milk them.  Adam was left speechless by the beauty of the routine.  He doesn't ever want to see Jakob in the pants again (and I agree), but he loved the whole thing, and will be sad to see their partnership break up.  He thought that Ashleigh embraced the style so well, and called Jakob surreal.  Mary loved them and agreed that it would be hard to break them up.  Nigel said that this routine replaced his previous favorite of the season, which was Sonya's jazz routine, and professed his love for Sonya.  He thought that they have given each other something special in their partnership.  I agree.  I didn't expect to like Ashleigh as much as I have come to like her.

*****Second Dances*****


Ellenore & Ryan (Broadway, choreographed by Spencer Liff, Razzle Dazzle, from Chicago) Ellenore is playing innocence and light, and Ryan is portraying the dark side of fortune and fame.  I liked it quite a bit - but not as much as their first dance.  There was one part where Ellenore's dress was over Ryan's face for a whole lift, and I thought that was weird.  Anyhow, Adam thought it was a great job, and was true broadway traditional "vocabulary," and thought it was full of character and energy.  He thought Ellenore was the rockstar of the routine, and I agree.  I miss the small things, like how hard it is to flex and point in an extended upright position.  Mary thought Ryan dug in and got the character and screamed about the professionality of him.  She loves how unique Ellenore is, and called her the It Girl.  Nigel wished that Mary could speak in Ellenore's Alien Language, because it is quieter.  He loved the dance, and said he wants to put 6 couples through to the Top 10. 


Kathyrn & Legacy (Viennese Waltz, choreographed by Jean-Marc Genereaux and France, Your Guardian Angel, by the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus)  It was gorgeous.  I think that the story behind the waltz is a good idea.  She was playing his dance guardian angel, and she did it well.  What a gorgeous dance.  It brought Legacy to happy tears.  Nigel wondered how they could be mean to him after that.  Adam thought that if Legacy could get through ballroom, he could go all the way.  He admitted that sometimes Legacy's shoulders were up too much and needed some footwork help, but it was admirable.  He did think that Kathryn was wonderful.  Mary thought that they weren't moving lightly enough across to floor, but thought that Kathryn was perfection.  Nigel said they love him, and a lot of the problems are going to be overlooked because of it.  He thought that Kathryn stole the evening.

Karen & Victor (Hip Hop, choreographed by Lauriann Gibson, Moving Mountains, by Usher)  Karen said she was inspired by Lauriann.  I thought the routine lacked a certain punch.  It was pretty cool when she climbed his back, but it didn't have the oomph I am used to in hip hop.  Eh.  Not the best.  Their tango was much better.  Adam thought there was a lot of commitment, but didn't think it match the music somehow.  Mary called it ok, but not memorable.  I agree.  She was grateful for their tango.  The synchronization wasn't there.  Nigel thought it was a pity that the lackluster hip hop didn't come before the tango, to leave the viewers with something better to remember.  He stopped talking when he couldn't say anything really positive about it.


Mollee & Nathan (Can Can, choreographed Tyce Diorio, Cancan Suite) First ever can can on the show.  It was a very traditional looking cancan, and I think it worked much better than the Russian Folk Dance, that's for sure.  Nathan was better than Mollee in my book, again, but she was miles better in this.  There was a moment where you could see her ankle hurt, and she kind of hesitated.  Her personality just bugs me, though.  Adam thought they were the best couple to get this energetic routine.  He thought that Nathan had a bit better choreograhy, but thought that Mollee's arial spin was good (and it was). Mary said they can can do it.  She thought that it was enjoyable and fun, and loved Nathan's spins and balance.  Nigel said that in the original can can, the ladies didn't wear underwear, under all the petticoats, and that is why it was scandalous.  He thought it was the best couple to do the cancan, also.  Better by miles than their first dance.

Noelle & Russell (Contemporary, choreographed by Tyce Diorio, A Case of You, bu Diana Krall)  They are supposed to be painting their relationship with each other.  Russell's shirt broke right in the beginning, but they did so beautifully, I don't even care.  It was a stunning routine to me, and they did it superbly.  It gave me chills.  Adam thought they were just gorgeous.  Agreed.  Mary thought it was pretty special and cleverly done, from the wonderful entrance right on through.  She called it out of this world.  Nigel thought it was a great commercial for guys to start dancing (what with the "paint with your face across her chest") and thinks they left viewers something beautiful to remember them with.  He loved Noelle's commitment, and he forgot that Russell was a street dancer.  Cat scolded them for getting paint all over the floor.

Ashleigh & Jakob (Cha cha, choreographed by Tony Meredith & Melanie, Cha Cha Heels) Ashleigh was so excited for the latin dance, and Jakob was nervous.  They are fighting over a chair.  Ashleigh got to have feathers on her bitt, and she worked them.  I was dizzied by the camera, which circled them and didn't let me really see them well for a bit.  That aside, it was grand.  I love them.  Adam said it is Ashleigh's world, and we are all just visiting.  He commended Jakob for making himself look like a ballroom dancer.  He doesn't like all the "hungry jazz looks" in ballroom, but they worked.  He called them the couple of the night.  Mary thought they blew it out of the ballpark.  She loved Ashleigh's amazing legs and her total confidence, and thought that Jakob did a commendable job.  Nigel thought that Jakob didn't look like the fish out of water, and he was glad it wasn't a concept routine, and thinks they are waltzing through to the top 10.

I have no idea who is going home tomorrow.  I am hoping for Mollee or Noelle, and for the guys?  Victor doesn't do it for me.  How about you?  It was a super strong night, and it's going to be tough no matter what.  Karen didn't do it for me in the Hip Hop, either...

But, all in all, there were so many strong moments, I don't know if I can pick out favorites, even!

What do you think?