SYTYCD - Top 12 (7/9/08)

Guest judge is Mia. Great week!!


Chelsie & Mark: Salsa, Alex Da Silva ("Fuego," Joe Bataan) - Love the costumes! Hated my tv reception, but the routine was fun! They seemed to do well technically and were in unison, as usual. Mary & Nigel both praised her & said he was a bit stiff, but Mary also complimented his partnering skills.

Comfort & Thayne: Hip Hop, Napoleon & Tabitha ("Can We Chill" by Ne-Yo) - in rehearsal they were trying to get Thayne to not be so smiley. ;-) The routine was just ok; he was too smooth. Judges were meh as well, mainly criticizing the lack of chemistry.

Jessica & Will: Contemporary, Tyce Diorio ("Silence" from Unfaithful soundtrack) - There was no story to this, per Tyce, just an "essence" of the Garden of Eden. Costuming was very skimpy and the music had very little rhythm in many parts, so it was very hard to analyze, at least for me. It was good I guess. The judges loved it, the choreo, both of them, and their chemistry. Mia called it "moving body art."

Courtney & Gev: Cha Cha, Anya and Pasha! (Rihanna's "Please Don't Stop the Music") - Woo-hoo, Pasha!! (and Anya!) Rehearsal clip was awesome - first you have the 3 Russians (and Gev's accent got stronger!), you have Pasha & Anya dancing, and you have the "give her the message" move (or crotch bump, as Courtney called it). Good times!! Courtney said that Gev picks up ballroom choreo quickly, and the routine was awesome! Everything in Gev that reminds me of Benji (in a good way, as I was a huge fan) was out in full force (I would *love* to see Gev dance a Benji-choreographed West Coast Swing! Though it might just be too surreal!). The judges loved it as well, mentioning that Gev lacked some technique but that it really didn't matter because the performance & presentation were so good. Cat also made Gev admit to shaving (actually "trimming") his chest.

Twitchington: Krump, Lil C ("2 Buck 4 TV") - Forget about eliminating the quickstep from the competition; I vote we eliminate krumping! Especially this watered-down style. It was just ok. The judges were very impressed w/Kherington for most of the routine, until she got tired & lost steam toward the end, but then 2 of them specifically said they were going to ignore that part so they could still give the routine praise overall! (Wow, chosen ones, much?) Mia said that Twitch "served gangsta on a platter."

Katee & Joshua: Viennese Waltz, Jean-Marc ("Iris", Goo-Goo Dolls) - This routine cast Josh as a "ghost character" that Katee couldn't see, and there were several moves where it looked like they were just 'missing' each other (neat concept). There were a lot of lifts/tricks but very little other dancing in hold, at least until toward the end. It was nice, but not very memorable IMO. The judges said Joshua was too bouncy (instead of flowing), but Katee was beautiful (as she was!). Mary complimented the lifts but only that part. Mia said Katee is "meant to dance" and "a gift to dance."


Round 2


Chelsie & Mark: Broadway, Tyce ("I'm A Woman" from Smokey Joe's Cafe)- Tyce says this will be a "sultry, sexy, bluesy" piece and Mark says it's a cat & mouse chase. I love it - probably my favorite Tyce Broadway number! Mark was in a white wife-beater & black suspenders, one of which kept falling down (I was afraid he or Chelsie would get caught in it during a lift at the end, but they didn't). Both were fantastic in their characters and it was kind-of full circle, now she got to 'reject' him! Nigel & Mary loved it (Nigel especially went on about Chelsie's legs), but Mia said it showed Mark's lack of technique training.

Comfort & Thayne: Contemporary, Mandy Moore ("A Different Corner" by George Michael) - Comfort said in practice that some of the moves were testing her shoulder injury (he pulled her by her arm), but she didn't want that to be an issue in the performance. It was pretty good; he was better, of course, since it's his strength. The judges were hard on them, especially Comfort. Nigel said he'd have liked to have seen a different couple perform this choreo; Mary said it wasn't believable and both women cited technique problems for Comfort. Mia did say that she thought Thayne was "brilliant."

Jessica & Will: Quickstep, Jean-Marc ("Bandstand Boogie" by Barry Manilow!) - I thought the routine (its execution) was mostly weak, though I enjoyed the fun ending. Mary critiqued Will's jacket because it bunched up in the back & affected his frame. Nigel & Mary both said their technique was poor. Mia said Jessica was stiff & disconnected & said Will looked "tired of carrying her."

Courtney & Gev: Jazz, Mandy Moore ("Standing There," The Creatures) - This one is the story of 2 people lost in a jungle and there is a map prop. The outfits are safari khakis. The choreo is interesting, different... I like the parts without the map better, but the whole thing was good. Nigel said it was fun though like cotton candy w/little (dance/technical) substance. Mary disagreed; she loved it & complimented their technique and strength.

Twitchington : Smooth Tango, Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin ("Assassin's Tango" from Mr. & Mrs. Smith soundtrack) - Tony says the tango is about passion and jealousy, and the characters for this piece are like Mr. & Mrs. Smith (trying to kill each other). I thought it was just ok - to echo Nigel's earlier comment, I'd have loved to see a different couple perform it! There was a really neat lift toward the end but I thought the story/characters were weakly portrayed. Nigel said Twitch didn't seem comfortable or "honest" in the performance and Kherington lacked passion. Mary also critiqued their technique and Mia said they seemed "noncommitted."

Katee & Joshua: Bollywood, Nakul and Marla - Nigel said he's been trying to get this genre on the show for 3 years. This particular piece has a girl playing hard-to-get. They mention in rehearsals that if some of the hand gestures/positions are off they become very offensive to people of certain cultures! I loved this routine - the style was different but very fun, and interesting to watch (entertaining but also looks difficult). Also, Katee can. dance. any. thing!!!! I already thought she was awesome but this pretty much cemented her as the best overall female IMO. The judges loved it too (Mary put them on the train).

And that's, as Chelsie might say, a warp, I mean wrap! ;-) (I just love her to pieces, really!) My favorite routines were not what I'd have picked just looking at the list: both of Chelsie & Mark's (Salsa & Broadway), Courtney & Gev's Cha Cha, and the Bollywood!

I predict Thayne & Comfort, Twitch & Kherington, and probably Will & Jessica for the Bottom 3, with Thayne and Comfort (or maybe Jessica, but I doubt it) leaving.