SYTYCDC Top 18 Choreography

I know that I am not writing about rants or raves, but seriously what was Leah wearing on Tuesday night.  The 80s are over Leah try and come to grips with that.

Our first couple was Melanie M and Cody.  Just as I was afraid of last week with Cody that he would have to dance something that needs him to be dirty.  The more i look at him, the more I think that he is just so darling and looks like a Disney character.  They pulled Krump out of the hat.  Lord help us.  Cody needed to be hitting the steps hard, and seem 10 feet tall with about 50 pounds on him.  He mostly pulled it off, actually did better than I imagined he would.  Give him time and he will only improve.  Melanie M on the other hand was amazing.  So much power out of the little thing.  She believed in what she was doing, and made me a believer too.  I will remember her next week for sure.  Great piece by Lil’ C.  Just could have used a little more ‘buck-ness’ – but really what couldn’t used a little more buck?

Tara Jean and Everett were up next.  It’s not a great sign when I can’t really remember them from the week before.  Not good at all.  They pulled Salsa out of the hat, and were matched with Tony and Melanie.  In the interviews leading up to the piece, Tara Jean reminded me of a varsity cheerleader and Everett was on the football team.  That all changed when that music started.  The cheerleader turned into Shakira Canadian-style.  She was dirty and sexy and Everett was a great partner.  It is sometimes hard for the men to stand out when their partners are dressed in almost nothing and shaking their hips like Tara Jean was.  I predict that these 2 will go far, and that I won’t ever forget them again.

I remember watching the Figure Skating at the part Olympics and watching Emanuel perform.  He made me nervous every time because it didn’t seem like him and ice were the right combination.  When him and Kim chose Theatre with Sean Cheesman- I thought it would be a match made in Heaven-and I was right.  Emanuel is a big man and this piece proved once and for all that his brute strength is no joke.  He was catching Kim in these jumps and lifts that I kept screaming at because if his timing was even a little off or if he wasn’t as strong as he is that piece wouldn’t have worked.  Emanuel’s face was a little twisted at the very beginning, but very soon after he got into it.  Kim was great, she seemed at home with the movement and I think that there is something really interesting with the partnership. Emanuel has a commanding presence onstage- so everyone better be watching.

Next to dance was Amy and Vincent with a contemporary piece by Blake.  I wrote down before I saw the rehearsal footage that “They will get eaten by Blake”.  Blake is no joke- he is intense and demands the most out of his dancers.  He also has an organic element to his movement that you are either capable of doing or you aren’t.  I didn’t think that Vincent would be convincing in his mean-ness..  Was I ever wrong.  The make up, the costumes and the music where dead-on and the only thing better than all of that was the dancing.  I didn’t really get the story that Blake told about an obsessed guy because to me it was more like a possessed man and a doll.  Amy was beautiful in her awkward poses and limp arms, she really let Vincent tear her apart and be super creepy.  I loved this piece.

There aren’t very many types of choreography that I don’t know at least some small detail about.  Dancehall is one of them.  After watching Jaeblazes’ choreography with Daniel and Jayme-Rae, I now what to move to Jamaica and learn how to do ‘dancehall‘.  It’s a combination of hip-hop and Latin movement.  I felt like he were all witnessing the foreplay between the 2 dancers.  It was hard hitting, sexy, and really dirty.  I love love love Dancehall.  Plus hearing Luther say funny words is also entertaining.

Most types of dance can be critiqued on a sliding scale: the Paso Doble isn’t one of those dances.  For me whenever I watch the Paso- it either rocks me with it’s intensity or it falls flat.  These piece with Anthony and Corynne was great.  Anthony for being someone that isn’t really tall danced like he was 10 feet tall.  Unfortunately halfway through they collided together, I blame the layers of her skirt not the dancers themselves.  They should be praised for managing to pick it up after that fall- especially with the Paso, because it’s a dance that builds and builds its intensity as it progresses.

I was disappointed that Sho–Tyme was the choreographer of the hip-hop routine with Nicolas and Jenna Lynn especially seeing as Little C was in the audience.  Nicolas being a B-Boy pulled out his tricks while Jenna Lynn didn’t.  She really needed to keep up and I think that for the most part she did- sadly I’m just not a huge fan of Sho–Tyme’s style.  I think that Nicolas will be in the competition for a while yet- he is a really strong performer.  I thought that the piece was good- but it’s certainly not a memorable one.

After watching the next piece I started to think that people’s interpretations of certain styles were getting quite loose.  The fact that Natalie and Danny chose Jazz and then danced the piece they did by Melissa Williams I have no idea how that could be considered anything other than a contemporary piece, even to say it was a lyrical jazz piece would be a serious stretch.  Regardless of what the actual style was- I liked this piece.  I can’t say anything really good about it though.  I felt like the choreography was forced and was in attempt to set up some of the lifts and catches that Natalie and Danny did.  That being said- they danced it well, I think that if that piece was not danced by those 2 it would have been a total train wreck.

Final dance of the night- Austin and Melanie with the Smooth Waltz.  I know the least about American Ballroom styles, but I know that I like the waltz.  It’s so classic, and fluid and it’s a style that isn’t in a rush.  Plus I love Austin and Melanie.  The opening of the piece by Danny Quilliam was intense with the fans her Melanie’s costume but I ate it right up.  Austin has never done this style before, and he was coming really really close to nailing it. His rise and fall was effortless as was his partnering of Melanie.  Sadly Melanie didn’t do very well- especially seeing as she a Latin Ballroom girl.  She should have knocked this out of the park and she fell flat.  I think that she will be in danger tonight.  Despite all of that, I loved the drama of the piece and the choreography was really original and powerful.

That’s it!  See you next week..