So You Think You Can Dance – Of solos and all-stars

So, things have gotten a little less hectic at the So You Think You Can Dance camp on FOX. After all … there are only 8 contestants left. Let’s have a looksy what went on …

The Top 8 Solo Performances:

Tiffany: Lack. And. Luster. There wasn’t a bit of life in her solo. Nothing else needs be said.

Will: Will’s performance, on the other hand, was soooooooooooooooo much more inspiring than Tiffany’s.

Lindsay: Another incredibly *meh* performance.

Chehon has got some really fantastic solos in his arsenal. But he’s one of those dancers who doesn’t seem to click with his partners much of the time. It’s is angular moves that keep him cooking in the competition.

Witney: Her’s was another white bread performance by a terrific ballroom dancer … dancing to to an awkward (for her) Rihanna tune. It didn’t work at all.

Cole: The hybrid dance / martial arts schtick has run its course. I’m bored with it. But … the dude knows how to do his thing partnered.

Eliana: You know … I don’t really like ballet, but it’s a pleasure watching Eliana do a routine all by her lonesome.

Cyrus‘ routines are always fun to watch and the audience loves them, too. It’s part of the reason he’s still in the thick of it.

The Top 8 Performances with The All-Stars:

Witney does hip hop with Twitch? No, she doesn’t. I can’t say it was the worst white girl performance I’ve ever seen, but it was right “down” there at the bottom of the barrel. Witney has as much street cred as guest judge Jesse Tyler Furgeson (Modern Family). (No … wait … strike that: JTF has more credibility in that arena.) The only thing she needed was a loaf of Wonder bread in each hand and the image would have been complete.

Cole and Allison:  The spasticity and drama of their performance coupled with Björk’s “Possibly Maybe” is what did it for me. Was there any doubt it was a Sonya Tayeh choreographed piece? It was terrific. “It was a little creepy … it was scary … but it was memorable.” — Mary Murphy

Eliana and Ryan quick step. The good news is this: It’s always a good thing to be matched up with a terrific partner who knows the genre. Ryan made Eliana look super next to him. Eliana? I don’t know if her dancing was up to snuff in the routine. The acrobatics were impressive as all get out, but the steps seemed strainy and forced. She didn’t look exactly comfortable, but she didn’t do poorly by any means. Again … thanks to Ryan. (Make of that what you will.)

Lindsay and Alex: The judges hit it on the head: Zero chemistry between the two, but the routine was technically accurate and engaging. Not often you can have such conflict with such a personal piece, but it did. It didn’t score Lindsay any points.

Will and Lauren: I thought theirs was an outstanding routine. “Dance My Pain Away” was the furthest thing musically that could have been worked into a hip hop routine. But it worked. Brilliantly. And here’s why: Will needed to be the focal point of the dance, especially with Witney’s hip hop routine before him. As big and goofy as he appears to be (but isn’t when he’s on stage), he had something to prove. And by dancing at a huge distance from Lauren, it was the perfect showcase for him. It’s not often a dance routine can be pulled off without the partners even facing each other.

Cyrus and Melanie: That was a goofy routine without a whole lot of dancing going on. It was disappointing and didn’t do anything for or against Cyrus. It just was.

Chehon and Anya tango’d, something Chehon said he didn’t have a clue how to do. I didn’t think it was any big thing, but everyone else seemed to have. You can tell how thrilled I was with this performance.

Tiffany and Ade did a contemporary spin on Celine Dion’s “The Power Of Love.” But … here’s the problem (and it’s no fault of their own): It’s kind of difficult to watch what’s going on up there on the stage <rant> … WHEN YOU CAN’T FREAKIN’ ZERO IN ON IT BECAUSE THE DIRECTOR BOUNCES FROM ONE CAMERA TO THE NEXT, FROM LONG SHOTS TO NORMAL ONES … !!! Cripes and cripes! What the hell … !???! I barely saw anything … !!! </rant>

The two who went home? Witney and Will. I was disappointed to see Will let go. He’s a bit goofy, but he put on a great show.

It was the penultimate ouster for the judges. (And let’s not hear any hogwash about them “saving” someone, not eliminating someone. The feel good feelings don’t manifest themselves just because you say so into the camera.) Next week’s show is the last for the judges. The viewers get their say in who wins the thing afterward. They have a say in the semi-finals, they have a say in what gal and what guy takes the competition. Things will heat up and get busy. It’s what we’re all looking forward to.

Quote:

“My rotator cuffs hurt from watching that.” — Jesse Tyler Furgeson of Tiffany and Ade’s performance*

* Yeah … me too, Jesse … <rant> because it’s kind of difficult to watch what’s going … WHEN YOU CAN’T FREAKIN’ SEE BECAUSE THE DIRECTOR DOESN’T HAVE A CLUE HOW TO DIRECT HIS CAMERAMEN … !!! </rant>

Clacked by Michael Noble
on Aug 30, 2012 @ 03:23 EST5EDT