SYTYCD: Week 4
A lot of really solid dancing tonight. I think who goes home is going to end up being tied to charisma and consistency.
The judges loved Brandon and Janette’s Cha-Cha but it just didn’t connect to me. I think it was the music. (The Pussycat Dolls? Why not dance to InSync) Surprisingly Randi and Evan’s Broadway was probably the weakest of the night and that was Evan’s style! I don’t think he’ll end up in the bottom 3 just because he is popular. (And Randi gets a big chunk of the Utah and Utah sympathizers vote)
I must say that this was the second solid week dancing by Kupono. I’m coming around to thinking the problem really was his old partner. Twice in a row of nailing it is just too much. Even though I didn’t like the choreography I thought Kupono danced the best he ever had.
My favorite dance of the night was Jeanine and Philip’s hip hop. Although as soon as the name of the song came up all I could think of was gay fish. My second favorite was Melissa and Ade’s ballet. However after that choice you’re never going to convince me the dances are handed out by random. Which makes one wonder what was up with the quickstep and Vitolio – are the producers ready for him to go?
So my predictions for the bottom three, recognizing that the dancing tonight was so solid that it really is going to be the luck of the draw.
1. Jason & Caitlin. A really weird routine. They just don’t have the popularity of a lot of others. And the costume for Caitlin looked like something her mother sewed for her when she was 6 and going out for Halloween.
2. Karla & Vitolio. Sadly as this was probably the best Vitolio has danced and in a style that’s very, very hard. However Karla comes off like she’s ready to go – almost like she’s eager to leave. I don’t know if that is right. But she looks exhausted and wondering if it’s worth it.
3. Kayla & Kupono. I don’t think they deserve to be there, but then no one else does either. I don’t think either has really connected with their audience though. Both have been in the bottom before. However maybe this is the week they do finally connect with people. Kupono is finally looking really solid.
Who goes home? I think Karla & Vitolio, to be honest. I’m suspicious of their being given the quickstep. Plus neither has been consistent while most others have. There’s a small chance that Jason goes home instead of Vitolio. A lot depends upon the solos.
My faves were the contemporary by Sonja, danced by Kupono and Kayla, the Cha Cha by Brandon and Janette, and the ballet by Mellisa and Ade. That first lift in the ballet was awesome.
I thought the chained hip hop was stupid. The chain was distracting and really limited their movement.
Also thought the alien routine was stupid. And it could have been so cool, too.
It was nice to see Mia eat her words about Brandon. And cute to see him cry when she told him how great he is.
Comment by Susan M — July 2, 2009 @ 7:40 am
I agree with everything (Clark and Susan), except: Jeanine and Philip being the best of the night. That was the weakest choreography from Tabitha and Napoleon. They didn’t really explore the meaning of being chained together: the way having a partner restricts your own movement, but also gives you possibilities you didn’t have before. Why not have Jeanine try a leap only to have the chain trip her mid-air and crash her to the ground? Or get the chain kind of wrapped around Philip as he’s in the middle of some cool trick? Then for the positive, show the dancers figuring out things they can only do if they have the chain—a backward slide assisted by one dancer pulling his partner, for example? In the choreography, the chain was just that: a chain; it did not manage to stand for something more.
Okay, too long of a comment! The rest will be brief.
After last night, I hate Kupono even more. I wanted so bad for him to fail, but he’s just soo solid the last two weeks. If he keeps this up I’ll start rooting for him! Errgh!
Randi and Evan: could their choreographer have been any more negative and unhelpful?
Who do you foresee in the top four? I think this might be easy to predict the guys, but not the girls….
Comment by Brian J — July 2, 2009 @ 9:44 am
I’m surprised you didn’t like the chain routine. I was impressed with the the technique of working around it and how it was used. While I agree with what you say about exploring the chain I think that would have ruined the metaphor of what the chain was about in terms of relationship.
Brian, good point about Randi’s choreographer. I honestly didn’t like the choreography much either. It takes work to make Evan look bad in his own style.
Comment by Clark — July 2, 2009 @ 10:50 am
“A lot depends upon the solos.”
I don’t know about this – the solos seem like a pretext for the judges to interpret however they want as a justification to do whatever they wanted to do anyway. In other words, the solos are a gimmick. Sometimes the judges praise lackluster solos, sometimes they criticize excellent ones, and sometimes they barely mention them.
Comment by Bill — July 2, 2009 @ 11:08 am
The judges don’t judge solely based on the solos. But if they have to decide between several people who are about par on other factors and one has a bad solo while an other has a good…
The other big factor are the group routines which the judge can see much better than the home viewer can (in terms of who is dancing well).
Comment by Clark — July 2, 2009 @ 2:34 pm
The chain routine just reminded me of rhythmic gymnastics: cool tricks working around a prop, but nothing beyond that. Instead of using a prop to make a point, the prop becomes the point.
Whether a gimmick now or not, the solos become very important once we hit the top 10.
Comment by Brian J — July 2, 2009 @ 4:47 pm
omg whos out? i missed it
Comment by kiks — July 2, 2009 @ 7:48 pm
kiks, they got rid of Vitolio and Karla.
and it was just like I said above, the solos meant nothing. Especially egregious was Kupono who threw himself around like the little kids from last week, but they kept him anyway.
It was a little risky putting on those professional ballet dancers, since they so far outshone anything else ever seen on the show.
Comment by Bill — July 2, 2009 @ 10:52 pm
No surprises in the elimination other than how poorly Kayla and Kupono danced.
There were a couple of screwups on the ballet (the girl slipped at one point) but they recovered nicely.
I guess a lot felt the way Brian did with the chain. It was my favorite routine but they, and not the aliens, ended up in the bottom.
One more week for the final 10. Who will be eliminated amongst the guys? Kupono, Phillip or Jason? I’m thinking Kupono is gone and that the producers will assign a dance to ensure it. However I think Jason has an outside chance since his solos have been weak and he’s been in the bottom a lot. If Philip has an other stinker of a dance though he’s gone (IMO).
The girls are more interesting. It’ll be either Caitlin or Kayla at this stage. Both have been in the bottom a lot. The judges love Kayla but the warning tonight was a big one. I’d say Caitlin is gone. It’ll be interesting to see what dance is assigned.
Comment by Clark — July 3, 2009 @ 12:27 am
From a dance teacher’s point of view: I really love this show, but I’m beginning to lose my faith in its integrity. Melissa, the ballerina, getting the “luck” to dance en pointe? Phillip getting Nap/Tab twice? I personally thing it’s time for Phillip to go – he’s a one-trick pony (although his one trick is amazing.) His lack of versatility in other genres is huge, compared to the other guys. And sorry, but Jason’s solos have been some of the best – go back and look at them again. He’s really very good. And it was time for Vitolio to go.
The girls? Probably time for Caitlin. She’s good, but not as strong as the others. The remaining five girls are a toss-up for me.
Please stop screaming so much, Mary! And, despite her diva-ness, Mia Michaels really is brilliant. She’s incredibly creative and she is usually spot-on with her observations and remarks. I’m not yet a fan of Sonia’s choreography – I don’t think it really shows the dancers’ abilities well. And Brian Friedman has to go away, again. Why did they bring him back? He’s awful, and talk about “diva-ness!!!”
Comment by Mel — July 3, 2009 @ 9:03 am
Mel, I’m surprised you had faith in its integrity ever. Clearly the producers tweak things to make it entertaining for the audience. That’s true in all these shows.
But yeah, I at least thought the dance choices were random. I’ve no belief in that anymore.
I tend to agree Philip doesn’t deserve to stay. I don’t think he thinks he deserves to stay.
Comment by Clark — July 3, 2009 @ 12:05 pm
The dance selection is sooo totally random! Melissa drew from a hat with pieces of paper saying various things, such as: “pas de deux”, “Pas de Deux,” “Pas De DEUX” and “ballet duet.” It was totally by chance that she grabbed the one that said “PAS DE DEUX.”
What dance would you assign to test them most? I know for Philip: anything but hip hop—but for the other two? And Evan, too, who I’m not convinced is really top-notch.
I would like to assign Melissa and Kayla Hip Hop—and not some softy version that Nap/Tab sometimes like to create (see: Bleeding Heart last season). I wanna see them try something hard-hitting, maybe even krump. My suspicion is that Melissa would nail it and Kayla would be exposed.
Comment by Brian J — July 4, 2009 @ 4:36 pm
I just read a spoiler that Pasha & Anya are choreographing Randi & Evan tonight for one of their dances. Yay!!!
Comment by gabby — July 8, 2009 @ 12:11 pm