It’s the top twelve performance night, and they’re dancing two routines each to try and win our votes to score a place in the top ten. Tyce Diorio is the rather spicy and snappy guest judge for this rather new and adventurous night of dance.
Our first couple to dance is Melissa and Ade. For their last two dances together before the inevitable split they drew a disco and a waltz. Let’s look at the disco first.
They danced a Doriana Sanchez disco to “Move on Up” by Destination. I have to say that Melissa looked a little bit like a ballerina on crack in the ensemble dregged up for her. Doriana said it could look cheesy and in my opinion it did. It wasn’t anything memorable and it certainly wasn’t the fabulous start to the evening that Nigel proclaimed. The disco was like any other danced on the show and to top it off they massacred the ending when Melissa blew her graceful ballerina bit for a landing on her bum. It just left me wanting more from a couple capable of it.
The second dance for them was the waltz, choreographed by Ron Montez. Danced to “You Make Me Feel (Like a Natural Woman),” Ron Montez opted for a variation on the traditional waltz to open it up for more entertainment. Let me just say, this is the first dance for me where Melissa wasn’t completely stiff. I do feel though that Ade needed to improve his footwork and that he needed more power within the dancing not just being strong with the dances. That being said, this was my preference of the two. I would like to think that because of their not so great routines that they could come close to the bottom three, but I think it highly unlikely because of their large fanbase.
Better luck next week.
The second couple to perform was Kayla and Kupono with a contemporary and a Broadway number.
They were hit with a Mia Michaels contemporary first. It was a deep piece about addiction; about “wanting something not good for you” and about always going back for more, and the fight to stop doing so. With such depth and the emotional reaction from Kupono I knew it was going to just be smashing, and it was. It gave me chill. I loved the stripped down, desperate, crazed lines from Kayla and the malevolent character portrayed by Kupono. It was just the perfect piece, which done by any other couple wouldn’t have been right on like it was by Kayla and Kupono. Thus said, it was the best of the night.
The second piece they danced was a Joey Dowling Broadway. It was a selection from West Side Story, and the storyline was two people meeting on a rooftop and falling in love at first sight. I liked it, but compared to the Mia Michaels routine and the Sonya Tayeh routine of the week before, upbeat just isn’t Kayla and Kupono’s thing. I think that they danced it well, but I agree with the judges. They needed to become the dance and let the movement into their world. They just needed to make it real.
I hope that they are safe tomorrow night, because after two weeks of having the best dance of the night, they deserve a moment of safety.
Third couple of the night is Caitlin and Jason. They’ve had a rough go at it in the past weeks with some not so great choreography. It seems they have gotten stuck with some weird, or just plain dull choreography, other than Bollywood. Let’s see if they redeem themselves with a foxtrot and a lyrical jazz piece.
Their first dance of the night is a Tony Meredith foxtrot. I must say that Caitlin looked ravishing and the dress she had on was just amazing. I didn’t think at first that the green and silver were a good combination, but I was wrong. It was a beautiful costume. I think they had great, great lines, and it was cool and suave, but it needed MORE. It was a little sleepy to me; but in all, it was beautiful. I loved it.
The final dance of their pairing was a Mandy Moore lyrical jazz piece. All I have to say, it WHY MANDY. Why can’t you join the year 2009? I know the 80s were probably awesome for you….but they’re were kind of a while ago. Her music selection is so outdated and her choreography is usually boring and worthless for me. That said, I did like this choreography. It was elegant, classy, challenging, and Caitlin and Jason danced well and with great chemistry in my mind. I did like them dancing this, I just did not and do no enjoy Mandy Moore’s musical selection. Seriously….step out of the time machine into the 21st century.
I have a fear that they will be in the bottom, yet I hope not, because I don’t want them going home.
Janine and Phillip are up next for review. They were given a Russian Folk Dance and a jive.
I just would like to point out that the Russian Folk Dance was like bringing Disney’s “It’s a Small World” to life on the stage. Bravo for making a mature dance competition bring me back to my childhood with this rather juvenile Kalinka. I think they did work with what they were given and they danced it well…but I agree with Nigel, they should not have been thrown that. It was a bit too folky and just all too hokie.
Now their jive, choreographed by Tony Meredith, was not hokie in the least. It was fun and flirty and bright. Even though I didn’t really enjoy Janine’s outfit, I enjoyed the dancing, I enjoyed the music, and I had fun while watching it. It was just full of life. Phillip grew tremendously from the treacherous tango and it was just pure fun. I think that this was in essence better then Randi and Evan’s and I do believe Janine earned her place on the Hot Tamale Train.
Speaking of Evan and Randi, they were give a hip hop and a samba to groove with for their last week together.
When I heard that they got hip hop I was like….Evan and Randi getting krunk? Uh-ohhh. Napoleon and Tabitha delivered a great, very intricate, very cute hip hop routine. I think to try and make Evan and Randi gangster would’ve been horrible. NappyTabs allowed them to be them with the great concept of conception. It was a great storyline, it was danced head to feet perfectly. I just really think it was just amazing. My second favorite of the night.
Their swan song of the evening, sadly left me wanting more. They danced a samba choreographed by Anya and Pasha. I think it was just awful. From the costumes that looked like an animal died on them, to the sexy choreography not well executed by the pair of them, to the not so interesting song; it all left me wanting more. I wanted to see fire……but there was barely a sizzle.
I think that they will be safe because of their massive fanbase, but I hope they step it up. I know they can do better.
The last couple of the night was Janette and Brandon. They were given an Argentine tango and a pop/jazz piece. I have to say….this was collectively Janette and Brandon’s night. Both of their pieces were very strong.
We won’t be crying for Argentina with this exquisite tango choreographed by the spicy duo of Miriam Larici and Leonardo Barrioneuva. Janette and Brandon were flawless together in the red and passion tango, but I must point out that I do not feel that Janette possesses the technique of Chelsie Hightower. I remember Chelsie’s Argentine tango and her legs were just a tiny bit faster and more precise than Janette’s. That isn’t to knock this number, because it was pretty flippin’ great.
The last piece of the night was just perfection. From the costumes to the music [which by the way, Wade Robson…totally a fan of Roisin Murphy] to the moves, it was just fun and a perfect human cartoon. Wade Robson is a choreographing genius with a dark side and a light side full of humor. You can tell this through his multi-dimensional choreography that NEVER bores.
Janette and Brandon are safe, safe, safe.
I just can’t begin to say who will be in the bottom. We’ll see tomorrow night. Sadly, I don’t want ANY of them to go. Can we just have a continual top twelve?
Goodnight and good luck to all the dancers!
