SYTYCD - Top 10 Performance!

vWell hello everyone! I've been out of touch for the past couple of weeks, but I've done my best to keep up with the shows along the way (minus a few recording incidents, but that just serves me right for depending on the ole' VCR).

As Kim said below, Debbie Allan is the third judge on the panel tonight, and after Nigel admits that, being a control freak and all, he's a bit nervous to hand the reigns over to America, Debbie admits to occasionally throwing her Hagan Daas at the TV in response to some of the - no names mentioned - judges previous decisions.

We start the night off with the first of two group numbers, this one a Bollywood number performed by the girls. Nakul Dev Mahajan is the choreographer and the music is Dholna from the Pyar Ke Geet soundtrack.

The costumes are beautiful, but the masks on the back of their heads are a bit strange... They are all moving so fast that it's hard to pick up the detail! My eyes keep going to Kayla, she really stands out for me.



Nigel opens by apologizing to all the other girls who have been on the show in the past and says that this group of girls is the most beautiful of all. They lack nothing and they are his 'hot bangers n' mash tray'. Sounds weird, but I'm sure he means it as a compliment! Mary says "Bolly-wow!" and that it was stunning. Crazy Aunt Debbie says it was an amazing cultural fusion and they inhaled the style of it. She thinks they are the strongest Top 5 girls to date.

As the previous couples have now broken up, it's time to start pulling names. Kayla pulls Evan out of the hat, and as Kim said earlier, there is going to be a problem with their heights as they pull a Viennese Waltz. Choreographed by Tony Meredith and Melanie Lapatin and danced to Kiss From a Rose by Seal, I notice that they have pulled Kayla's hair back from her face - in direct response to an earlier critique from Nigel that she sometimes got lost in her hair, I would imagine... I thought they did well together, although some technicality was lacking.

And yes indeed, Kayla danced in flats and Evan in heels - it seems to have worked out alright!



Nigel seems to be a bit critical towards the choreographers, saying that he would prefer to see a more traditional Viennese Waltz, but in spite of that he felt that the lifts worked out beautifully and that as always Kayla has great lines. Mary says this was a dance about power, pleasure and pain (way to pick up on the lyrics there Mary!) and that some parts were painful, i.e the knees not being flexed, not gliding enough, but other parts were great (I'm taking that to be the pleasure part) and the lifts looked effortless (the power, I'm guessing?). She said that Evan had class and elegance and that Kayla never disappoints. Debbie says that it was a wonderful, unexpected surprise, and I laughed when she said to Evan "you handled your big woman, baby!" She nicknames them White Lightening and Gene Kelly, and I'm certain those names will stick for the duration.

Brandon is up with his solo for the night, dancing to In Your Eyes by Jeffrey Gaines. It's got lots of neat, quirky movements, and did I mention? I just love him, I have him in the Top 4 for sure.

Our next couple are Janette and Ade and I get the sense from the recap that Ade is more than ready to move on from his previous partner.

Wow! Can it be? A Tabitha and Napoleon hip hop number NOT about a couple in conflict? Crazy! Dancing to Love Sex Magic by Ciara featuring Justin Timberlake (I love this song), it's a nice, light funky piece featuring the pic from Ade's hair and I think it's a fun prop that works well for them. I didn't realize Janette was so very tiny! The choreography does a good job of utilizing their height difference and they stayed in sync throughout the routine.



In fact the pic worked so well that Nigel wants one too! But sadly all he has are pencils, so being the industrious fellow he is, he makes do. He's going to use them to get Mary out of her clothes later on, which the mere thought of... well, it makes Mary scream like a banshee, and that's never a good thing! And I can't stand the Nappy Tabs thing. Please. Now it's time for Mary to get serious and cut the crap. Silent moment. And then "that was fuuuuuuuunky, yes it was!" Debbie says she was worn out by them and to keep that pic away from her daughter thank you very much. She says they were mesmerizing and a great couple.

Second solo of the night is from Randi dancing to Dream by Priscilla Ahn. Meh. Nothing one way or another to say on this one.

Next up is Kupona with his solo, dancing to Marina Gasolina by Bonde De Role. He's got some great angles, and as far as solos go, I like this one. I'm hoping to see him in the Top 4 as well.

The third couple of the evening are Jeanine and Jason and this has all the makings for a great performance. I think they are evenly suited technically, they've got Travis Wall for choreography and Jason Mraz singing If It Kills Me (The Casa Nova Sessions), how can they go wrong!

If Kim was waiting for this to be her favorite number of the night, I don't think she'll be disappointed. It's fantastic. Lots of great lifts and throws, so many intricate movements and raw emotion.



They get a standing O (sorry Carly) from the judges and Travis gets the accolades he deserves from Nigel. The piece has left Mary speechless and Nigel requests that they perform this every week just to keep her quiet. When she finally finds her words, Mary says how proud she is of both the dancers and of Travis for showing such growth. She says that Jason has the face of a little puppy dog, but should never be underestimated for his strength and power. She tells Jeanine that she hasn't missed a step to date and the she keeps shining brighter and brighter. Debbie reminisces about Travis as a young boy and says that this show is more than a competition, it's a conversation. And that it has evangelized dance. And that she can't wait to buy tickets to see them preform live. On the road. As opposed to live on the show 10 feet away from her, I guess? Ahhh, crazy Aunt Debbie, gotta love her.

On to the next solo by Melissa, danced to Gabriel by Lamb. She's on pointe and ends in a very crazy leg position that would land most people in the hospital.

And up next with his solo is Evan decked out in a white tux dancing to Zing! Went the Strings of my Heart by Rufus Wainwright. I do love his style, and I really like this piece.

And another solo - wow, just flying through them now! It's Kayla dancing to Rock Your Soul by Elisa, and of all the girls, I think this solo is the best of the night. The height in her jumps is amazing and it's a nice, clean performance.

Cut to commercials and - wow, already? SYTYCD Canada starts on August 11th? I'm sure Kim has mentioned that before, but it just kind of hit me how soon that is!

Anyway, on to the next couple, Randi and Kupono. They get the Paso Doble with Tony Meredith and Melanie Lapatin and it seems from the rehearsals that this could be a rough one.

The music is Dies Irae by Karl Jenkins, and it is a powerful piece of music, so much so it almost drowns them out. Maybe that's for the better though. Indeed, it is rough. They have trouble with the lifts, the footwork, they seem tight in the hips and then a stumble at the end. Sigh. I don't imagine the judges will be kind with them. And I'm not sure what to think of Randi in the wig.

Nigel commends the choreography this time, says that it was strong and passionate. But the dancing was not. And for the first time ever, I think, the crowd doesn't boo him... There's no denying it, I guess... He says that they were too light, they needed to dance more into the floor, and he too wasn't sure about Randi and the wig. He didn't feel anything was authentic and they didn't work well as a couple. Mary says this fell below the bar, and critiques the wig, the dancing and the chemistry. She says that it was mediocre and it just won't cut it at this stage of the game. Debbie says it was awkward.

Ade performs his solo next to Unchained Melody by the Righteous Brothers - and was it just me, or was the song a faster version than normal? This one seems a bit too flail-y for me and falls a bit short.

Jeanine is up with her solo to Violento (Up Mix) by Bailongo! and as solos go, it's alright.

Jason is next dancing to Train Fare Home by Muddy Waters. It's a character piece, and I think it works out well. The guys solos are working so much better for me tonight.

Melissa and Brandon are our next couple doing a Broadway piece to Aquarius from the musical Hair by Tyce Diorio.

Wow, Brandon is just crazy good, he always impresses me. They both do really well, and this number has a great tempo, with lots of slow, intricate movements and attention to detail. I like it. I think the choreography used both of their styles to their advantage.

Nigel feels the same, commenting on how they used Melissa's ballet and Brandon's gymnastics to put together a great number. Mary says it was unbelievable, groovy. Debbie says it evoked a real harmony, powerful, technical and seamless.

The last solo of the night is Jeanette dancing to This is Miami by Sunder Kleinenberg. Great song and it's a fun little piece.

And we're down to the last group number of the night, the guys doing an African dance choreographed by Jeffrey Page to Ballant Funk by Ayanda Clarke and Shawn Kelly. During rehearsals it strikes me how small and white Evan is...!

This number is very impactive visually, hugely athletic and rhythmic, and for as stressed as they all seemed earlier, I think they pull it off beautifully. And did I mention how small and white poor Evan is out there?

Nigel starts by saying that anyone who knows him knows how much he loves African dancing. Huh. I did not know that. I guess we're not as close as I thought we were... He tells Jeffrey that he is the meanest choreographer ever, and that this was one of the toughest numbers that they've had on the show. He then tells Evan he looked like a dancing milkshake. I hear Debbie say "You're mean!", and it makes me laugh. Mary loved the costumes and commented on the level of energy and how exciting it was. Debbie tells us that African dancing is the origin of hip hop and jazz and that this piece was pure and authentic. Nigel closes by taking a crack at last weeks Russian folk number. Can't say I blame him. That one was awful, and would have been no matter who danced it.

And that's it for the night! If it were based on dancing alone, I'd say we've seen the last of Randi and Kupono. But it's not based on that anymore, so I'm thinking Kupono should be safe. Maybe Randi and Evan? I don't know, it gets so hard to predict anymore when it gets to this point. But if I had to call the Top 4 now, I'd say Brandon, Kupono, Kayla and Janette.

Carly will be taking the reigns tomorrow night, so we'll see you all then!

Good night!