It’s our final performance night, and the Final 4 turn out all the stops to show us what they’re made of. It’s quite the night, held in the Kodak Theatre for the first time – and featuring 3,000 people in the audience!
FINAL 4: They begin the night by all dancing to Wade Robson Pop routine about football players and cheerleaders. It’s not one of Wade’s quirkier endeavors, but it’s fun and sassy. Evan manages to hold his own against the other three and the crowd roars its approval.
EVAN & JEANINE: They dance together to a Sonya Tayeh piece. I know Evan doesn’t have the technical prowess of the other three dancers, but come on. Mia stated weeks ago that Evan doesn’t have the darkness needed for Sonya’s work and interestingly enough this is his third week in a row dancing in one of her routines. Let’s call a spade a spade and acknowledge the fact that the producers are doing all they can to calm Evan’s extreme fanbase. He still dances his heart out, and Jeanine is as good as usual.
BRANDON & KAYLA: These two take on a Broadway routine by Tyce Diorio, who has the balls to say he is making Fosse’s work showier. But the routine is fun, stylized, sexy, and expertly danced to “Bye Bye Love.” Again, they have about the same performance quality of a documentary on Shakespeare. But still it’s great fun.
EVAN & BRANDON: The guys are given a Pop Jazz routine. By Laurie Ann Gibson. Set to “Nasty Boys.” How much do you want to bet Evan doesn’t shine in this? Thought so. He doesn’t, but it’s an admirable effort. Brandon kills it. The judges pretty much say as much, but Nigel AGAIN criticizes Evan’s “choochie” face. For serious? Lay off his face and just critique the dancing. Pleaseeee.
JEANINE & KAYLA: They are given a Mia Michaels Contemporary number. It’s stunning, as usual, and Mia Michaels reminds us of why she’s the best. The girls travel across the stage, literally removing their clothing and shedding layer by layer. Nigel is right – when they move side by side you can really compare them. Kayla has better lines and extension, Jeanine is far stronger and not as shaky. They’re both lovely. It’s one of the better routines from the finale.
KAYLA & EVAN: They are given a Country-Western Jive. Adam complains that the routine wasn’t exciting enough for a finale – I think he’s just spoiled. Not every routine can be like the stunner we just saw with the two females. This was a perfectly servicable fun Jive, and Evan has improved since his first time with it. Kayla really shines – this is where she does really well, when she’s sent out to simply work it. Nigel says he’s glad we finally saw her personality, Mary skewers Evan. Bo-ring. The judges need to step up with their critiques with things we’ll actually want to listen to.
BRANDON & JEANINE: These two powerhouses are given a Louis Van Amstel Paso Doble. HELL YES. Louis should choreograph everything. It has a Matrix theme, all black leather, whipping movement, dark stares, strength, and power, and I love it. There are great lifts and leaps along with technical prowess. I love it. So does the audience, and so do the judges. It’s the performance of the night, they rightly saved the best for last. Nigel outright states that either Brandon or Jeanine will win.
BRANDON: Brandon’s solo is good, but there’s no topping last week’s animalistic triumph of a performance. In fact, Adam spends more time talking about last week’s solo than this week’s. All of the judges are filled with lavish praise for him, and Nigel thinks he’s in the Top 2 at least. Brandon has been a fantastic dancer all season. His athleticism, strength, and power left others in the dust. This was someone meant to dance. I always thought he was a bit outperformed by the wonderful Janette, but from pissing off Mia to his outstanding leaps to those hot pants, Brandon was a thrill to watch. If the winner should have the most “Wow” moments, then the title belongs to Brandon.
KAYLA: Kayla doesn’t have perfect solos. A beautiful technician, she rarely manages to engage an audience, and when you’re the only person on a giant stage, that’s what you have to do. Adam rightly talks about her entire time on the show as opposed to her solo. Kayla was always a frontrunner given her gorgeous looks and amazing technique. And she danced like an absolute beast, even if her personality didn’t convince you. No matter how cute her grandparents were, she never managed to lock down a core fanbase. Adam includes her with the best dancers that have been on the show: Travis, Danny, and Will. What Adam fails to mention is that none of the best dancers have ever won. Buf if the winner should be the most consistent dancer, then the title belongs to Kayla.
JEANINE: The lovely Jeanine has more charm than every other dancer this season, with the exception of Evan. She also deserves a medal for putting up with Nigel’s leacherous comments. With him openly gazing at her chest to saying he wants to “do things with her,” she has exhibited more class than I would have in that situation. Tonight she gave us the best female solo seen on this show in a long time. Definitely the best since Caitlin. With a Tango inspired piece, Jeanine had fearless attack. Those pirouettes?! Perfect control and strength. She won over many, many fans with tonight’s episode, and her cheers grow from the most tepid to the most rambunctious. Strange to think that she wasn’t featured at all during the auditions, that our first image of Jeanine was her trying to explain away poor turnout. If the winner should illustrate the most growth, then the title belongs to Jeanine.
EVAN: Awwww, Evan. So much promise. He was among the most built up from the auditions and with a few exceptions – Jazz, the “Butt” routine, his solos– he didn’t really live up to it. But even then, his warmth, his uniqueness, and the judges’ constant hammering, allowed his rabid fanbase to grow and expand and evolve, to even win me over. Some blame teeny boppers for voting for him, but it’s not true. People vote for him because in this season full of soulless technicians, Evan imparted the joy that is dancing. His solos were a sight. We could root for him. He smile is adorable. For the first time in five seasons, there was a Broadway dancer, so different from the rest that the audience voted for him over and over. They were voting for the style, for vaudeville, for showmanship, for a style forgotten. The judges’ comments on his eyes, his face, his choices – why was Adam bothered by Evan’s repetition of audition solo but not Brandon’s? – is what catalyzed his fanbase rather than quelling it. Tonight the entire Kodak was literally filled with rhythmic chants of Evan’s name. If the winner should be the most popular, then Evan should take the title.
How I want it to turn out:
#4 Brandon, #3 Kayla, #2, Evan, #1 Jeanine
How it should turn out:
#4 Evan, #3 Jeanine, #2 Brandon, #1 Kayla
How it will turn out:
#4 Kayla, #3 Evan, #2 Brandon, #1 Jeanine
