SYTYCD6 - The Critical Hour

So You Think You Can Dance - Top 12 Performance Night - Ep. 617
Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Adam Shankman

So thanks to Canoe, I won tickets to see the SYTYCD Canada S2 Tour!!! WOOHOO!!! Vincent here I come!!!

So maybe it was because I'm in a good mood thanks to winning free tickets, but I thought the dancers were awesome tonight. I didn't love some of the choreography as much as the judges did, and I thought the first half was better than the second, but it was generally a great night where the Top 3 couples really did an A-MAZING job.

Oh yah, and the couples had to do TWO dances this week. And it's the final week before the cut to the Top 10, where new pairings will be made, and where the remaining dancers will get to do the tour. So it's an important cut!

Ellenore Scott
&
Ryan Di Lello
Dance #1
Style: Lindy Hop
Choreographed by: Carla Heiney
Song: "I've Got To Be a Rug Cutter" - Boilermaker Jazz Band
Grade: A

Before I get to the dance, who was Carla Heiney's assistant? Hello!

Anyways, back to the Lindy Hop, which hasn't been around for 3 seasons. Ryan needs to be bouncy, but being such a muscle bound tall dude, this might not go well.


Ah, but hot Ryan doesn't let me down and bounces away with Ellenore in a fun looking routine that had all the makings of a disaster. Instead, Ryan and Ellenore shuffle and bounce and lift their way around the stage proving that they are definitely two of the top contenders here.

Here's the video of Ellenore and Ryan's Lindy Hop:



Kathryn McCormick
&
Legacy Perez
Dance #1
Style: Jazz
Choreographed by: Sonya Tayeh
Song: "So Deep" - Hot Chip
Grade: A

The judges loved it and loved the choreography but I thought it was kind of a cheat from Sonya. It basically just melded Legacy's style with Kathryn's style and put them together.


On the other hand, Legacy and Kathryn dance their own styles incredibly and melding them together looked really cool and they are just so hot together. Considering they were basically doing two different things, they really connect well, both physically and emotionally.

Here's the video of Kathryn and Legacy's Jazz:



Karen Hauer
&
Victor Smalley
Dance #1
Style: Tango
Choreographed by: Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin
Song: "Montserrat" - Orquesta del Plata
Grade: A-

Ah, the coupling I've been waiting for. I've always loved Karen and Victor and thought they were a little weighed down by their last pairings. Now seeing these two together without Kevin or Channing, I wasn't disappointed.

I still thought there could have been a little bit more sizzle, but maybe because the routine itself seemed more technical than emotional, but having said that, I thought Karen and Victor finally showcased their dance abilities.

Here's the video of Karen and Victor's Tango:



Mollee Gray
&
Nathan Trasoras
Dance #1
Style: Hip-Hop
Choreographed by: Jamal Sims
Song: "Ring-a-Ling" - Black Eyed Peas
Grade: A-

While I've wavered on these two over the last few weeks, and slowly lost favour with them last week when I thought they were the worst pairs remaining, Nathan and Mollee luckily seemed to have recovered this week with a well designed Hip-Hop number that played to their strengths, and played up their cuteness.

I thought Nathan did a great job and Mollee mostly kept up. They are VERY lucky that they had Jamal Sims who choreographed a routine that suited them so well.

Here's the video of Mollee and Nathan's Hip-Hop:



Noelle Marsh
&
Russell Ferguson
Dance #1
Style: Samba
Choreographed by: Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin
Song: "Hips Don't Lie" - Shakira
Grade: B-

For a Samba routine, I thought that would shake and sizzle a bit more. Noelle seemed to just be there. I thought Russell did a pretty good job with what he could, but when your partner is sort of a lump, there's only so much you can do.


I was really disappointed with Noelle here, and only just confirmed that her Afro Jazz was more a brilliant choreo by Sean Cheeseman. Her fringe should have been shaking and sparkly here and it didn't really move. It looked like Russell was doing all the moving for her. When Nigel complained that he didn't lean forward enough (but leaned back enough) in that spin, it's because Noelle was in the WAY.

Here's the video of Noelle and Russell's Samba:



Ashleigh Di Lello
&
Jakob Karr
Dance #1
Style: Lyrical Jazz
Choreographed by: Sonya Tayeh
Song: "Time Flies" - Lykke Li
Grade: A

The judges fawned over Sonya's choreography again and yet again, I wasn't feeling it. I thought she basically took the best of Jakob and Ashleigh's skills and threw it together.

But again, she was working with a great set of dancers with some GREAT skills so of COURSE it looked good. Has Jakob made ANYTHING look bad yet? And Ashleigh is growing on me (okay, meeting her helped) and I thought she did a fabulous job here.

Here's the video of Ashleigh and Jakob's Lyrical Jazz:



Ellenore Scott
&
Ryan Di Lello
Dance #2
Style: Broadway
Choreographed by: Spencer Liff
Song: "Razzle Dazzle" - from Chicago
Grade: A

Not an amazing routine but far better than the crap Tyce doles out. PLEASE keep Spencer Liff and get rid of Tyce please. Also, if you can show Spencer taking his shirt off during the rehearsals, that would be swell. Thanks!

Meanwhile, while Ryan's "ass"ets are his biceps and pecs, I do like seeing him in a suit, even a sparkly gay looking one (especially a gay looking one).

Again, Ellenore and Ryan did great. It was so fun and jazzy and totally in strange character. Ellenore is just so strange and I LOVE IT. And Ryan managed to weird himself to match. I was really impressed!

Here's the video of Ellenore and Ryan's Broadway:



Kathryn McCormick
&
Legacy Perez
Dance #2
Style: Viennese Waltz
Choreographed by: Jean-Marc Généreux and France Généreux
Song: "Your Guardian Angel" - The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Grade: B+

JM! It's nice to see him choreographing again and not being the lead judge (on SYTYCD Canada) because he's a better choreographer than judge. (He's nice. TOO nice as lead judge. Maybe that's just the Canadian in him?).

Not knowing the technical stuff like Mary did, I thought they did a fine job. It wasn't quite as smooth as I think it should probably be, but overall I thought Legacy did a fine job (and looked mighty FINE in that suit. Did you SEE his ass in those tight black pants?) and Kathryn was just so elegant.

Here's the video of Kathryn and Legacy's Viennese Waltz:



Karen Hauer
&
Victor Smalley
Dance #2
Style: Hip-Hop
Choreographed by: Laurie Ann Gibson
Song: "Moving Mountains" - Usher
Grade: B

Not as together as they probably should have been, but has Laurie Ann ever taught her dancers well enough to be perfectly in sync (other than her first appearance)? Granted she seemed nicer this week.

I didn't hate it as much as the judges did. In fact I still really enjoyed it and think Victor and Karen have the natural charisma that's needed. Sure, the skills could have been perfected, but I thought they looked like they were really trying to go for it and tried to hit it hard. Now they just need to hit it hard together at the same rate.

Still, a far better improvement over their former partnerships.

Here's the video of Karen and Victor's Hip-Hop:



Mollee Gray
&
Nathan Trasoras
Dance #2
Style: Can-Can
Choreographed by: Tyce DiOrio
Song: "Cancan Suite" - Offenbach/Ponchielli
Grade: B+

New "style". New novelty. The judges loved the choreography by Tyce. With the Can-Can. Oh there are too many variations to joke with, too little time. I'm just not even go there right now. I'll save my Tyce hatred for later.


While the Can-Can is generally for girls to show off their woo-ha's (Nathan's look of shock was priceless, act or not) so Nathan didn't really have much to do except prop and steer Mollee around, until he finally got to kick the Can-Can with Mollee near the end. And I'll give it to him that he was pretty solid in all of it.

Mollee, with more to do, did a fine job with the choreo and the two of these youngun's doing a peppy dance was a perfect fit (as Nigel mentions).

Here's the video of Mollee and Nathan's Can-Can:



Noelle Marsh
&
Russell Ferguson
Dance #2
Style: Contemporary
Choreographed by: Tyce DiOrio
Song: "A Case of You" - Diana Krall
Grade: B+

Yet again tonight, I thought the dancers transcended the bland routine. I'll give him that first headstand lift but the rest of it was just a mess of contemporary cliches raised to the level of pretentiousness. Other choreographer's bring these dances to a level of elegance and make them emotionally compelling. Here, all I could think about was the cleanup job on the paint needed after this routine.

But the dancers did a good job with it. I still thought Russell did a better job than Noelle (which at this point, shouldn't be the case), but Noelle at least wasn't a total lump like she was in the first dance.

Here's the video of Noelle and Russell's Contemporary:



Ashleigh Di Lello
&
Jakob Karr
Dance #2
Style: Cha-Cha
Choreographed by: Jean-Marc Généreux and France Généreux
Song: "Cha Cha Heels (Ralphi Rosario Radio Edit)" - Rosabel feat. Jeanie Tracy
Grade: A

And here's an example of when GOOD choreography can enhance a dance. Okay, I'll admit. JM is sometimes fricken annoying as a judge, but he knows his choreo and he and France are good at making ballroom look exciting and compelling.

Of course, it also helps having Ashleigh and Jakob do your dance. This is Ashleigh's thing and she showed her THANG! and again, has Jakob ever looked bad?

Here's the video of Ashleigh and Jakob's Cha-Cha:


- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Final Roundup:

Best of the Night: Ashleigh and Jakob's Cha-Cha
Second Best of the Night: Ellenore and Ryan's Lindy Hop
Third Best of the Night: Kathryn and Legacy's Jazz

(That makes it the 5th time Kathryn and Legacy are in my Top 3 now!)
Okay, let's face it. Ashleigh and Jakob, Ellenore and Ryan and Kathryn and Legacy are such strong 3 pairings that they HAVE to be in the Top 10 right? RIGHT?

Best Male of the Night: Ryan Di Lello
Second Best Male of the Night: Jakob Karr

Best Female of the Night: Kathryn McCormick
Second Best Female of the Night: Ellenore Scott

Worst of the Night - Couple: Noelle and Russell's Samba
Worst of the Night - Single: Noelle Marsh


My Predictions:
Should Be Bottom 3 Couples: Mollee and Nathan, Karen and Victor, Noelle and Russell
Mainly because the other 3 couples are so consistently great.
Will Be Bottom 3 Couples: Ellenore and Ryan, Karen and Victor, Noelle and Russell

Should be Eliminated: Noelle and... uh... Nathan
Will be Eliminated: Karen and Victor

Man, just as I wanted to throw Mollee and Nathan under the bus, they pull out a good night. Lucky them. Granted, even if they didn't pull out the votes, and the fact that their solo's last week were actually pretty great, I doubt the producers would kick them of before the Top 10. They definitely want them on the tour.

Karen and Victor meanwhile doesn't get the respect they deserve, but I think the judges seem blinded by Noelle for some reason that she will be saved and Karen will end up being kicked off.

At this point, this is how I rank all the dancers:

1. Jakob
2. Kathryn
3. Legacy
4. Ellenore
5. Ryan
6. Ashleigh
7. Karen
8. Russell
9. Victor
10. Nathan
11. Mollee
12. Noelle

Although you can really switch around dancers 2-5 in any order and I'd be okay with it.


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