Well here we are at the Top 10, ladies and gentlemen, and it’s every dancer for him or herself! As if it wasn’t hard enough weeding out the pretty fantastic from the super fantastic thus far, now we have to figure out which of these 10 ridiculously talented hoofers is hoofin’ it home this week. At this point, I’m glad I’m just a fan judge and not on the hook for making these agonizing decisions.
First up, Marko in a Jason Gilkinson samba with Chelsie: Let me preface this by saying that Marko is probably my favorite guy this season (with Jess running a close second). Now: I love Marko, I really liked the dance, and I thought the choreography was interesting (in a good, changed-it-up kind of way)…but I kinda thought Marko dragged a little. I couldn’t quite decide if he just wasn’t quite comfortable with the dance or was a little overwhelmed by its ever-shifting focus, but as much as I loved the dance overall, I wasn’t quite as enthusiastic as Mary and Nigel about Marko’s performance specifically. I realize the hips are more an issue for the women, but I entirely disagree with Mary that his were moving adequately. My reality check was that about halfway through, I tried to imagine Pasha doing this dance; while I realize that may sound like an unfair standard, we are now at the top 10 in a season of phenomenal dancers – the standard is already pretty darn high - and Marko was no Pasha. Do I think this will affect his vote-getting tonight? Nope, not one iota. But I have to call ‘em as I see ‘em, and that’s how I saw it. Scale of 1 to 10: I give the dance a 9, and Marko… an 8. Really more like a 7.5, but I’ll give him extra credit for nailing those lifts.
Sasha solo – Okay. I think it was not as spectacular as what some of the other ladies do, but that’s not really her style. She’s more about musicality and movement and emotion than tricks and stage usage, but that’s not a bad thing. I do think she’s going to need to put a little more energy into her solos to compete at this point though, because every move will count with the judges, in and out of the duets.
Jordan – Dwight Rhoden & Desmond Richardson, contemporary with Brandon – WELCOME BACK, BRANDON! He is one of my all-time faves, and I’m thrilled to see him here as an all-star this season – love to watch the way that body moves. As for the dance: brilliant. I would expect nothing less from Desmond Richardson. Or Brandon. Or Jordan. True, it is her style, but at this point, to get high marks in your own style still requires a pretty outstanding performance, and she delivered. It was a well-coordinated effort of music, choreography, and dancers, and one I’d happily watch again and again.
Jess solo – I think it was an excellent demonstration of his unique talents, but again, I think it’s going to need to be stronger and a little more “WOW!” to stand up against the others at this stage of the game.
Tadd, Chuck Maldonado hip-hop with Comfort – It was well-danced, and I think he outdid Comfort (which is hard in this genre), but my husband had an excellent point: he needed to stop smiling. It was a little too hard to say he had swag with those dimples shining through. He needed to be more bucc and less cute – but that said, he sailed through a very intricate and super-speed set of moves almost flawlessly (almost), and for that I give him serious props. I wasn’t quite as high on it as the judges considering its lack of gravitas in the swag department, but it certainly was better than good.
Melanie solo – Beautiful. Just the right balance of control and power, and positively lovely to watch.
Mitchell – Tyce DiOrio Broadway/jazz with Melody – This was the best I’ve seen Mitchell perform in a long time. He was there emotionally and visibly, and danced it well. I’m not sure I necessarily agree with Nigel and Mary that he overdid it, but I can see why they would say that. But I’m definitely with Neil Patrick Harris – this dance didn’t really hang together for me either. We all know I’m up and down about Tyce’s routines, and this one was a valley rather than a peak. I didn’t get the theme in coordination with the music and the choreography, and I didn’t get what was supposed to be going on between Mitchell and Melody (who, incidentally, must be from a season I didn’t watch in its entirety, because I don’t remember her at all, and I’m kinda wondering now that I've seen her dance how exactly she beat out some of the other possibilities to be an all-star).
Ricky solo – Not his best dance in the sense of being a well thought-out, cohesive number (in my opinion), but it was pleasant to watch. I think his past solos, perhaps because they’ve been in the mode of “dance for your life” have been more incredible, which may be why this one didn’t stand out as much to me. Not bad, but not his best effort.
Clarice solo – I liked the song choice, but I felt a little underwhelmed by the dance itself. I think about Clarice’s audition pieces and even her previous dance-for-your-life solos, and this was just kinda okay by comparison.
Caitlynn – Miriam Larici & Leonardo Barrionuevo tango with Pasha – Watching Pasha definitely confirmed my suspicions that Marko was a little more “meh” in his samba than the judges thought... but I digress. Caitlynn: WOW!! I hardly recognized her in this dance. She looked mature and sexy and sensual and mysterious and intense, and although the choreography didn’t look especially difficult, in an Argentine tango control is the key, and she was tremendous. Absolutely incredible dance.
Mitchell solo – One of Mitchell’s best solos, and one of the best solos so far tonight. Showed off his skill and his emotional availability. Nicely done - but will it be enough to balance out that duet?
Sasha – Christopher Scott hip-hop with Twitch – *Sigh* It is so nice to see Sasha dance with someone who is up to the challenge! That was one of THE best routines not just of the night but of this already incredible season, and it is due to the contributions of everyone who participated – Christopher Scott’s excellent choreography and well-constructed concept, props and all; Twitch’s TRULY. ALL. STAR. TURN; and Sasha’s extraordinary performance. For once, I think Sasha got a partner and a routine worthy of her talent, and the voting her posse will be drumming up will be entirely deserved. ROCK SOLID.
Jordan solo – It was nice to see something a little different from her, a little less leg and a little more dance. I’m not sure if it’s what the judges were looking for, but I liked it.
Jess – Stacey Tookey contemporary with Kathryn – What’s not to love about this dance? My favorite female all-star, Stacey Tookey choreography, and Jess. Yep. Pretty much LOVED IT. Let me also take a minute to compliment the choice of putting Kathryn in a muted blue outfit rather than the bright red she wore last season when she completely outshone her partner (so much so that I don’t even remember who it was). It made it a lot easier to see Jess, and great thing, because he was worth seeing in this number. I’m with all three judges: best work to date, Jess – well done!
Tadd solo – Um, WOW. And: OW. THAT was what a solo in your own style should be – full of awesomeness and joy. WOW.
Melanie – Jason Gilkinson Viennese waltz with Pasha – This show just keeps getting better and better! Yet another dreamy routine that leaves you breathless and starry-eyed. What a subtle but important touch to have a gentle breeze blowing across the stage, giving the impression of flowing and movement in their clothes even when there was stillness in their bodies. It just enhanced the already fluid, rich, air-like quality of the dance. I could watch those two dance all night. *Sigh*
Caitlynn solo – She carried the maturity of her tango right into her solo, which beautifully complemented her dance, which this week was much more settled and cohesive. Lovely.
Ricky – Tyce DiOrio jazz with Allison – Aaaand we are back up to the top of the Tyce DiOrio roller coaster! WOW. That put me in the mind of Mia Michaels’ “Addiction” number with Kayla and Kupono. Oh, and when I said Kathryn was my favorite female all-star, I meant “along with Allison,” because she is just thrilling to watch. But I’m with Nigel: just when I was starting to think “Oh no, Allison’s going to overpower him,” Ricky kicked it in, and all of a sudden I was taken aback – just the way I should’ve been with his character. Outstanding.
Marko solo - *Sigh* I know, I know, I’m doing it again, but REALLY? How could you not? That was probably my favorite solo of the night - although Tadd was right up there too.
Clarice - Nakul dev Mahajan Bollywood with Robert – I am not quite the fan of Bollywood that my husband is, but I do think it’s generally pretty darn entertaining. This was fun, Clarice did it well, and I find that I enjoy Robert much more now as an all-star. Although I’ve liked other pieces she’s done this season, I agree with Neil that something had been missing with Clarice – my husband says she’s too monotone in her expression, always smiling, even-keeled – and this was a little bit of a departure for her in a good way. I’m not sure if it will hold up to some of the other routines this week, but it was a good showing.
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So who’s in trouble? Well, considering they screwed up the numbers at the end of the show, I suppose it could end up being anybody, but unfortunately, I think the clear answer is Mitchell. It’s possible that voters will see the Big Red Flags and come out to support the underdog, but if not, I’ve got a bad feeling this is his week to say sayonara. It’s going to be hard to find anyone else who clearly goes in the bottom with him, but I would suspect Clarice might still find herself there. The third I wouldn’t dare to predict, so we’ll just have to stay tuned. I’ll be watching comfortably from my couch tomorrow night while the judges squirm in their chairs to try to figure out how to cull the cream of the crop from the creamier.
What did you think, America?
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