Mary Screams, Dmitry's Shakes and Benji x 2! The Americans Take Over! - Spoilers On The SYTYCD Canada Top 14

Top 14 Performance night this Wednesday (Oct. 29) is going to be a Mary Murphy screaming good time (at 8pm on CTV)

WAAAAAAA! Scream queen Mary Murphy is back on the Canadian version of SYTYCD but it's her first time as a judge during the Top 20 performances and she brings along her infamous scream and her Hot Tamale Train. With several new passengers tonight and some welcome pandering to the lovely and nice Canadians!

It's a young week for choreographers on So You Think You Can Dance Canada this week with Benji Schwimmer returning and being joined by fellow Season 2 contestant Dmitry Chaplin!

Not to be outnumbered by visiting Americans, Canada's King of ballet, the now retired Rex Harrington, joins the judges panel adding a certain prestige.

Measha Brueggergosman was also in the audience (famed young Canadian opera singer).

It was generally another good night although at this point, I love almost everyone remaining and the cuts are going to get harder and harder. I still loved last week's Top 16 Performances night better overall (BTW, Videos are up!) but looking below at my early reviews based on the live performances from the Top 14, I still thought it was a pretty good night, despite some mishaps and mistakes from some of my favourite teams.

So here are the early spoilers for this Wednesday's Top 14 Performance night when I'll re-review the performances when it airs on television:

Judges: Mary Murphy, Rex Harrington, Tre Armstrong, Jean-Marc Genereux

Lisa Auguste and Vincent Noiseux
Style: Samba
Choreographer: Dmitry Chaplin
CALL: 1-877-9 SPIN 01

Grade: B+

They start out with bundles of energy and pizzazz but then they made a couple of obvious mistakes near the end (including a missed move) but the judges don't care because it's Lisa and Vincent and they are becoming so good on stage that a fumble is excusable when everything else is done so well (which Mary basically states).


Lara Smythe and Miles Faber
Style: West Coast Swing
Choreographer: Benji Schwimmer
CALL: 1-877-9 SPIN 02

Grade: B

Technically it wasn't perfect and there were a few obvious fumbles but there is something so infectious about Miles and Lara that you can't help but love these two. At the end of the show when all the dancers are dancing to the closing credits, Miles and Lara are amongst those that really shined out from the crowd and they have this certain glow and showmanship that can't be taught. Paired up with a showy Benji routine (that included his now trademark double cartwheel thingy, now with an added lift at the end), it's a match made in heaven, even when some of the in between partnering required by this type of dance is lacking. The judges pretty much say the same thing and love it despite the imperfections. Jean-Marc mentions that they are really SMOOTH and glide across the stage which I wholeheartedly agree. Since I couldn't see the dancers feet from my point of view, I thought Miles was gliding on wheelies at a few points and realized he really floated across the stage. Now he just needs to work on his hands and ballroom partnering skills but the boy has got charms to spare.

Oh, and the two start off in diner cook uniforms but then Miles unleashes a bedazzled bra'd Lara that's half disturbing in its quick revelation (and allusion to Janet/Justin) and half hilariously exciting.


Arassay Reyes and Nico Archambault
Style: Hip Hop
Choreographer: Luther Brown
CALL: 1-877-9 SPIN 03

Grade: A-

For all of those naysayers that are sick of Nico and Arassay relying too much on Contemporary or similar type dances, we FINALLY get to see them do something a little different and they continue to rock it. It wasn't TOO hard hitting but Jean-Marc liked that because they were still very precise in their hits and about the only thing that wouldn't make it obvious was their slightly baggy army fatigues. The dance is about two army soldiers and Nico is strong as always but the big surprise is that Arassay really nailed it in my view. It could have been a bit dirtier but considering they were in army costumes, I could see how they made it more clean but crisp.


Allie Bertram and Danny Arbour
Style: Contemporary
Choreographer: Paul Becker
CALL: 1-877-9 SPIN 04

Grade: A

First Nico and Arassay prove they can do something different, and now so do Danny and Allie, who ace Paul Becker's emotional contemporary piece about his mother and her reunion with her long-lost son she gave up for adoption (who were both in the audience). As Mary states, it's almost too personal to really critique the piece but Danny and Allie do an AMAZING job with it. Danny really lets loose yet still stays strong as a dancer with clean lines, while Allie is simply marvelous and fluid which makes fellow ballet dancer Rex Harrington proud. Not to say Danny wasn't good because he was absolutely terrific, but Allie really stood out and her technical ballet training really showed. She's really impressing me every week.


Natalli Reznik and Francis Lafrenière
Style: Theatre
Choreographer: Sean Cheesman
Song: "Cell Block Tango" - Chicago Musical (A new version/remix I haven't heard before)
CALL: 1-877-9 SPIN 05

Grade: B+

A cool spin on the song that I usually associate so much with Fosse's original moves but I felt it was a slightly bit of a cheat because it seemed slightly tailored to Francis' ballroom techniques still. On the other hand, they danced it with passion so who really cares if Francis seemed to move a bit like his usual ballroom ways? Natalli was like an animal as a woman scorned and the judges applaud her for being totally uninhibited and wild (wild for totally grabbing Francis' newly trimmed haircut (which somehow makes him look even better than before, if that's even possible) and throwing Francis to the ground. Several times! (Well, I guess the song dictates that)) while Francis still gets full marks for being the tall dark handsome and strong male that he's always displayed.


Caroline Torti and Jesse Catibog
Style: Hustle
Choreographer: Benji Schwimmer
Song: "Womanizer" - Britney Spears
CALL: 1-877-9 SPIN 06

Grade: C

The two are a bit weak on the partnering for this hustle (like disco-ish) and they looked a little like school kids trying to keep up but the judges are WAY harsh on them, starting with Mary who absolutely did NOT like it (and pretty much the only team she doesn't give glowing reviews to) and the rest of the judges follow suit. I didn't think it was THAT bad but I didn't think it was good enough either and with an already strong Top 14, mistakes matter, but what's even worse than Lisa and Vincent's missteps or Lara and Miles' weak hands and inbetween partnering moments is the lack of that extra oomph needed that put Caroline and Jesse behind the rest. Jesse who I really like, looked like he was trying too hard. The judges still generally liked Caroline but even she got some blame (I think from Jean-Marc) and they simply fell out of character with Caroline overpowering Jesse when it should have been the other way around. Benji kept defending the two and kept rising from his seat to applaud the two and join in on the boos from portions of the crowd. Still, it wasn't as bad as the judges stated but it was the weakest dance of the night.


Kaitlyn Fitzgerald and Izaak Smith
Style: Jazz
Choreographer: Blake McGrath
CALL: 1-877-9 SPIN 07

Grade: A-

Finally they do good. And the judges note it too with Tre saying "FINALLY". The dance is about a husband coming back to a scorned housewife (there seems to be a lot of scorned women tonight) and the dance is exciting and passionate, especially coming from Izaak who is usually like a block of wood. He's in 60's glasses and a suit and the costume helps, while Kaitlyn FINALLY has a partner to really DANCE to (she's in a sexy housewife outfit).


Favorite Pairs Dance of the Night: Danny and Allie
2nd Favorite Pairs Dance of the Night: Nico and Arassay

Worst Dance of the Night: Caroline and Jesse

Bottom 3 Predictions:

Caroline and Jesse
and um? Lisa and Vincent based on their misstep and the fact they seemed to have the least signs for them. Which is CRAZY because they are so good.
Lara and Miles? or Natalli and Vincent? just by default?

Kaitlyn and Izaak might still be in danger since Izaak had the noticeably quietest applause in the opener but he might have just saved himself with the help of Blake who he fully credits for his resurgence.

I'm guessing Jesse is going to go home but I have no idea which girl will go since I still think Caroline is the weakest at this point but the judges seem to LOVE her. On the other hand, they love Kaitlyn as well and the other girls CANNOT go. They cannot make another Romina mistake.

Oh well, judge for yourself on Wednesday and let me know what you think.


For More So You Think You Can Dance:
Check here for the most Recent current postings and Latest News on SYTYCD

For more on So You Think You Can Dance Canada:

For More So You Think You Can Dance:
Check here for the most Recent current postings and Latest News on SYTYCD

For more on So You Think You Can Dance Canada:

Top 12 Performances, Results 12 to 10
Top 14 Performances, Results 14 to 12
Top 16 Performances, Results 16 to 14
Top 18 Performances, Results 18 to 16
Top 20 Performances and Results
Introducing Canada's Top 20

Auditions:
Toronto Week - The Cut to the Top 20
Vancouver, Halifax, Calgary, Montreal - West, East, Middle and Quebec
Toronto - Toronto's Best Foot Forward
The Judges, The Host, The Teaser, All Photos from CTV

So You Think You Can Dance - Season 4:
Finale
Top 4 Performances
Top 6 Performances and Results 6 to 4
Top 8 Performances, Results 8 to 6
Top 10 Performances, Results 10 to 8
Top 16, 14 and 12 Weeks Recaps by Vance again
Top 12 Performances, Results 12 to 10 - Guest Blogger Linz McC
Top 14 Performances, Results 14 to 12 - Guest Blogger Linz McC
Top 16 Performances, Results 16 to 14 - Guest Blogger Linz McC
Top 18 Performances, Results 18 to 16
Top 20 Performances, Results 20 to 18
Introducing the Top 20

Auditions:
Callbacks in Las Vegas - The Top 20 Revealed - What Happens In Vegas
Milwaukee, WI - How The Midwest Was Won
Charleston, South Carolina and Washington D.C. - S.C.D.C. The New Electric (Boogaloo) Term!
Salt Lake City and Dallas - Yeehaw Utah!
Los Angeles - It's Time To Put On Those Dancing Shoes Again Kids!

So You Think You Can Dance - Season 3:
Live Tour - Toronto, Pasha's Solo Video, Neil's Solo Video
Finale - Winner Result
Top 4 Performances - Finals
Top 6 Performances, Top 6 Results
Top 8 Performances, Top 8 Results
Top 10 Performances, Top 10 Results
Top 12 Performances, Top 12 Results
Top 14 Performances, Top 14 Results
Top 16 Performances, Top 16 Results
Top 18 Performances, Top 18 Results
Top 20 Performances, Top 20 Results

For So You Think You Can Dance Season 2:
Favorite Video Clips
Song List Live Tour 2006 - Toronto
Live Tour 2006 - Buffalo, Pics, More Pics