SYTYCD7 - Let's Talk About Six Baby

So You Think You Can Dance - Season 7 - Top 6 Redux Performance Night - Ep. 718
Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mia Michaels, Adam Shankman and Toni Redpath

No one is injured tonight!... yet.

So it's Top 6 Part 2. Sure. If it were a great top 6, this would be great, but at this point, it's more like a Top 4 with 1 who might have potential if we had about 10 more weeks left and 1 who has just exhausted his stay.

Meanwhile, they've announced the tour cast which isn't as great as it initially sounded. It's not even the whole Top 10 for Season 7, and not even the Top 4 from Season 6 which got totally shafted. I mean, yay Allison and Courtney get another tour, and at least Kathryn finally deserves to get on the tour, but where's Ellenore? Jakob? Legacy? And can the All-Stars be All-Stars if Neil, Mark and Pasha aren't on?

So the tour cast is: S7's Kent, Lauren, Robert, Billy, Ashley, Adechike, Jose, S6's Russell and All-Star Kathryn, and All Star's Courtney, Ade, Dominic, and Allison

There was also the promo for So You Think You Can Dance Canada Season 3, starring S1 and S2 winners Nico Archambault and Tara Jean Poppowich which looked pretty hot. Starts Aug. 15th, basically right after this thing finishes.

But now back to the Top 5... er 6 again.

Kent Boyd with Anya Garnis
Choreographed by: Jean-Marc Généreux and France Mousseau
Style: Cha Cha
Song: "My First Kiss" - 3OH!3 feat. Ke$ha
Grade - Dance: A-
Grade - Contestant: A-

I know Kent dissenters point out the faces Kent makes, but while a) I don't really mind because it's just his youthful enthusiasm for being on a nationally televised show at 18, b) he keeps it to a low this week doing the Cha Cha and actually reminded me a lot of Pasha (who does pull faces too but we love him for it, so what's the dif?)

The leather looked good on Kent. I wasn't digging Anya's hair though, but it moved nicely for the dance piece even though it made her look a little scary.

Toni thought he did a better job but he shouldn't hunch over so much in an attempt to be butch. Mia thought it was crunchy, which Cat questioned her on.

Here's the video of Kent and Anya's Cha Cha:




Robert Roldan with Kathryn McCormick
Choreographed by: Stacey Tookey
Style: Contemporary
Song: "Heaven Is A Place On Earth" - Katie Thompson
Grade - Dance: B
Grade - Contestant: A-

Robert with Kathryn again? Normally I'd complain with such obvious repeats but how can you complain habout having Robert and Kathryn together again? I feel if Robert was on last season, maybe he and Kathryn could have made a superb connection.

That said, while I liked the storyline, I thought the dance was sort of forgettable. Beautiful moves by the dancers but while I love Stacey Tookey, this was good for her, but she's often been stellar. Still, I thought Robert and Kathryn has done a stellar job with the dance and putting themselves totally into the story.

Robert's partnering is getting better. He still needs to go to the weight room to build up some of his arm muscles, because at this point, that's about the only thing he's lacking. But tonight I couldn't tell since he seems so comfortable with Kathryn.

Last week Nigel mentioned that Robert hadn't grown enough (or that one judge mentions it during the results), but here he repeats that he's grown so much. Mia mentions that Robert pulls back just enough at the start of the dance to allow the story to take hold, and that holding back shows how mature a dancer Robert is.

Here's the video of Robert and Kathryn:




Adéchiké Torbert with Courtney Galiano
Choreographed by: Tyce DiOrio
Style: Jazz
Song: "Manteca" -Dizzy Gillespie
Grade - Dance: B-
Grade - Contestant: B+

I couldn't tell if the dancers did a flub or the choreo was just lame. I'm assuming since Courtney is awesome, it was either a mistake by Adéchiké or Tyce's choreo was just bleh. It was better than his Broadway stuff, though definitely not as good as his choreo from last week.

I think Adéchiké is strong but something feels missing to me still.

Adam swears. Apparently. When did "balls out" become swearing?

Mia thinks he has great strength in fitness and strength but needs more in style and finesse.

Nigel thinks he doesn't let himself go enough. I've got to agree with Mia and Nigel here. Granted both made it sound really nice still. I guess knocking Adéchiké didn't work before so they're not trying again. It only seems to spur his fans even more to vote since he's never been in the bottom 3.

Here's the video of Adéchiké and Courtney's Jazz:




Jose "Full Deck" Ruiz with Comfort Fedoke
Choreographed by: Marty Kudelka and Dana Wilson
Style: Hip-Hop
Song: "Try A Little Tenderness" - Otis Redding
Grade - Dance: A-
Grade - Contestant: B

I can't tell if that dance was deceptively simple or deceptively hard but I thought it was such a well designed dance that Jose could totally hit and work well with. Basically, he could fudge his way through well enough.

I am LOVING Comfort this season. And while I thought Jose did a pretty great job, watching him next to Comfort just made the differences even more glaring.

Nigel did not feel it, Toni did, Mia didn't, Adam felt it all.

It's funny that Nigel actually called out Jose for not being in the results show group dances (for the past 2 weeks? at least) but used some "injury" as an excuse. Yah, sure. Whatever. Not 2 weeks in a row.

Here's the video of Jose and Comfort's Hip-Hop:




Lauren Froderman with Allison Holker
Choreographed by: Tyce DiOrio
Style: Broadway
Song: "Who's Got The Pain" - Damn Yankees (1994 Original Broadway Revival Cast Recording)
Grade - Dance: C+
Grade - Contestant: A-

So are we only allowed to do same-sex Broadway when it is baseball related?

LOVE Allison! She's so fabulous! And while I think she has a sparkle that is special to Allison, I'll give it that Lauren managed to not only keep up, but seem to match Allison in almost everything except for a few moments at the beginning.

Did Mia just criticize the dance? ("Is it the most memorable piece of the season? No, but you killed it").

You know what sucks about Tyce routines? They are a series of cliched moves with emptiness in between. They are attached in a row, but not mended together as a whole dance.

Here's the video of Lauren and Allison's Broadway:




Billy Bell with Ade Obayomi
Choreographed by: Stacey Tookey
Style: Contemporary
Song: "Mad World (Alternate)" - Michael Andrea feat. Gary Jules
Grade - Dance: A
Grade - Contestant: A+

Ade is a businessman. Billy is a homeless man. Different but really the same. OOOH. Deep. Sometimes Stacey Tookey's big concepts don't work, but sometimes, like here, they do, though with a big thanks to the wonderful pairing of the hulking Ade and the petite Billy. I know the haters are going to go, eh, it wasn't that great, and for a moment, I was wondering where it was all going. But the combo of the right song, the right VERSION of the song, and the power of seeing Ade in a suit against Billy's poor boy eyes was just pure perfection.

You could see the story and sadness and fear in Billy's eyes. We know he can do the dance. Now we know he can dance with a soul.

Mia thanks Stacey for keeping on her toes with her routine. A nice way of saying "back off bitch! I'm the queen of the concept contemporary".

Adam thinks Billy was finally born on the show.

Here's the video of Billy and Ade's Contemporary:





Jose "Full Deck" Ruiz and Kent Boyd
Choreographed by: Spencer Liff
Style: Broadway
Song: "From This Moment On" - Kiss Me Kate soundtrack
Grade - Dance: A
Grade - Jose: B-
Grade - Kent: A+

Spencer Liff! I know, I always have to do that when I see that boy! Adam praises his choreo. As he should. Claims it's the best Gene Kelly, old style Broadway we've seen on the show. Uh yah. When it's Tyce usually doing it, the cat could do a better job choreographing it. Cat Deeley can do a better job choreographing it.

For those that had defended Tyce before (well, the two of you), can you SEE the difference between GREAT Broadway and Tyce Broadway?

I know Kent is supposed to play the boy and Jose was supposed to play the refined guy, both chasing after an imaginary girl (I won't even make a comment here), but I thought Kent just looked so refined compared to Jose's dancing. Toni thought Jose got away with a character built around Jose, but Kent is simply a contender.

Kent was just magnificent here in a wonderfully understated style that had a breathe far beyond what we've seen on this show (I don't even have to name names anymore in my digs do I?). Watching Kent here, which is just perfect for his wide grinned smile, makes me smile with a wide silly grin. Even Mia says Kent's allowed to do his silly faces here!

Here's the video of Jose and Kent's :




Lauren Froderman and Adéchiké Torbert
Choreographed by: Jean-Marc Généreux and France Mousseau
Style: Foxtrot
Song: "Fever" - Beyoncé
Grade - Dance: B+
Grade - Lauren: B+
Grade - Adéchiké: B+

I actually thought Lauren and Adéchiké did a pretty great job with the Foxtrot, another one of the ballroom dances that are often quite difficult for non-Ballroom dancers. Toni thinks that they didn't quite get the style perfected, which admittedly is difficult to learn so fast, but managed to get the feel of it right.

Mia thought Lauren did better than Adéchiké but I thought they both sort of were equal here.

Here's the video of Lauren and Adéchiké:




Billy Bell and Robert Roldan
Choreographed by: Nakul Dev Mahajan
Style: Bollywood
Song: "Ganesh" - Bombay Dreams (soundtrack)
Grade - Dance: A-
Grade - Billy: A
Grade - Robert: A+

Just as I was going to be over Bollywood, a dance that always seems fun but kind of the same everytime, here comes a great Bollywood where having two amazing dancers gives it the oomph needed.

It was also deceptively difficult, with so much movement and bouncing and intricate moves that only two great dancers like Billy and Robert made it look so easy, while hitting every mark.

Toni thought they were both great but Robert probably just hit it a little better and I partly agree mainly because Robert brings a more mature swagger (even though he's slightly younger than Billy)

Here's the video of Billy and Robert's Bollywood:



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The Solos

Jose "Full Deck" Ruiz
Style: Breakdancing
Song: "Giant Squid" - RJd2
Grade: B+
Look, at this point, what else is there to say? He's an amazing breaker, though I feel his solos are a series of tricks as opposed to a SOLO PIECE, which Legacy excelled in, so I feel there's something left wanting in his few seconds up there by himself.

Here's the video of Jose's Solo:




Lauren Froderman
Style: Contemporary
Song: "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" - Aretha Franklin
Grade: A-
MUCH better than her previous stripper routine. MUCH better. Between her little pink and black teddy, she looked like a little girl trying to dance ballet, but with beauty and style and learning to grow into a woman. Plus that last single footed lift with the toe sticking out was pretty cool.

Here's the video of Lauren's Solo:




Billy Bell
Style: Contemporary
Song: "Lights Go Down" - Telepathe
Grade: A
After being told he was relying too much on his flowy contemp dance skills too much in his solos, it was nice to see him try to quirk it up and give a darker moodier style to his flow. Oh, he still has some of the smoothest transitions and is just so damn bendy, but while it sometimes defied the brute strength he was trying to convey, I admired him for giving it all to butch it up, with a mostly successful intriguing solo.

Here's the video of Billy's Solo:




Kent Boyd
Style: Contemporary
Song: "A Song For You" - Elliot Yamin
Grade: A-
SO much better than last week. Wicked cool flip too. Nice song pick. Nice attempt at emotion in his solo. I could totally buy it. My only beef? It wasn't long enough. AGH. Can't believe they ended the song right there.

Here's the video of Kent's Solo:




Robert Roldan
Style: Contemporary
Song: "A Beautiful Mess (From a Raining Jane Session)" - Jason Mraz
Grade: A-
At first I thought it was one of Robert's weaker solos that seemed to flit and float around but then I realized he was sort of literally playing with the lyrics from the song, trying to make a bit of a story out of it. Cheesy maybe but it gave his movements some depth that solos usually lack.

Here's the video of Robert's Solo:




Adéchiké Torbert
Style: Contemporary
Song: "Pretty Wings" - Maxwell
Grade: B+
Maybe all the Maxwell fans are voting for him? I know they are some powerful fans (hello Ginette!) so they're keeping him here in hopes of hearing Maxwell songs used on the show?

Here's the video of Adéchiké's Solo:



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

Lauren is apparently with the medics at the end of the show.

The Dancers - Pairs Routine:
1st - Best of the Night: Billy (with Ade)
2nd: Billy and Robert
3rd: Kent (with Anya)
4th: Robert (with Kathryn)
5th: Kent and Jose
6th: Lauren (with Allison)
7th: Lauren and Adéchiké
8th: Adéchiké (with Courtney)
9th - Worst of the Night: Jose (with Comfort)

The Routines:
Best Routine of the Night: Stacey Tookey's Contemporary (Billy with Ade)
2nd Best Routine of the Night: Spencer Liff's Broadway (Jose and Kent)
3rd Best Routine of the Night: Marty Kudelka and Dana Wilson's Hip-Hop (Jose with Comfort)

The Dancers - Solos:
Best of the Night: Billy
2nd: Lauren
3rd: Kent
4th: Robert
5th: Adéchiké
6th - Worst of the Night: Jose

The All-Stars:
All-Star MVP: Allison
All-Star MVP 2: Comfort
All-Star MVP 3: Ade
All-Star MVP 4: Kathryn
All-Star MVP 5: Anya


The Predictions:
Bottom Three: Jose, Robert and Billy.

Should Go Home: Adéchiké and Jose
Going Home: Jose and Billy.

I mean, Jose looked sad everytime he stood there in front of the judges tonight. He knew, despite the softened blows at him, and the thin praises, that he's the weak link here. Meanwhile, I have no idea how Adéchiké keeps staying out of the bottom 3. He's a great dancer, but every week he improves, so does everyone else (and by else I obviously mean Billy, Robert, Kent and Lauren).

This is how I rank all the dancers overall (#position from last week in parenthesis):
Overall Ranking:

1. Kent (2)
2. Robert (1)
3. Billy (3)
4. Lauren (4)
5. Adéchiké (5)
6. Jose (6)

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