SYTYCDC - Top 14 Performance!

Evening all!

Sorry for the late start tonight. Too many things happening all at once in Kim-land.

Anyway, here we are for the Top 14 Performance Show. Things are moving right along. We’re down to a 90 minute show now! Yay!

As per usual we start with dancer intros and as per usual Emanuel tries to do his ‘sultry’ stare at the camera, which really comes off as sleazy. Blue Steel! He needs to stop doing that. And Austin has really bad slicked down hair.

Joining our Jean Marc and Tre on the judging panel tonight are Dan Karaty (YAY!!) and Karen Kain (link added to wikipedia entry ~ though it doesn't mention that she is currently the Artistic Director of the National Ballet of Canada. Nor does it mention how important she is/has been to Canadian dancers) , who has a very impressive resume that I can’t hope to get right here. I’m very excited because we haven’t seen Dan in ages. All the judges comment on last week’s eliminations and Jean Marc talks about some of the injuries plaguing the dancers. Sounds like it’s been a crazy week. Broken bones, missing teeth... wow!

Filler aside, we get started with Cody (Teen Dream!) and Melanie. They’ve pulled Hip Hop with Luther this week and it looks like it’s supposed to be kind of nasty. Hopefully they can pull it off.

They’re dancing to ‘Turnin’ Me On’ by Keri Hilson featuring Lil’ Wayne. Melanie is consistently surprising. Like the Krump routine they had, she’s just nailing this. Cody’s right in there with her, hitting it hard and very nasty. The shirt move at the end is fantastic. Well done. I thought this was great - they really got into it.

Dan makes mention of all the grinding and says they both played the part well. He says they nailed everything. Karen says they had convincing physicality and attitude and she really enjoyed it. Tre says they had style, swagger and syncopation. They get a well done from Tre. Jean Marc says it was exuberant and they survived the ‘Luther-minator’. Hee. In a very (not) convincing Schwarzenegger impersonation, he says they’ll ‘be back’.

Second up is Vincent and Amy performing a Cha Cha choreographed by Gustavo Vargas. Vincent says it’s a dangerous routine. Looks like there’s some challenging lifts here.

They’re dancing to ‘Rie y Liora’ by Celia Cruz. Amy seems really into this one. Looks like they’ve got the footwork mostly down and the lifts are coming off really well. Their enthusiasm is great in this piece and I’m glad to see they didn’t break the table this time. Great job. I enjoyed this one as well - I thought they both got right into it and I loved how she landed on the table at the end.

Dan says they nailed it. It was fun, sexy and the lifts were great. Karen says she really enjoyed it. She says Amy needs to pay more attention to her feet and it was obvious it was Vincent’s area of expertise. Tre says they sold it and did a great job. Jean Marc loved it and says they did a great job.

Up next is Tara Jean and Everett. They’ve got House this week with Sho-Tyme. Everett says this is faster than the quick step. Sho thinks they work good together. Huh, I didn’t know that no other SYTYCD uses House in their programs. Way to be Canada!

They’re dancing to ‘When Love Takes Over’ by David Guetta featuring Kelly Rowland. Their synchronization in this is great and they seem to have gotten a good handle on the rhythm. Tara Jean’s energy seems to wane a bit towards the end. She was right on it in the beginning and seemed to die off a bit at the end. Maybe I just don't understand the style but this whole routine looked messy to me. I noticed TJ running out of steam at the end as well, but overall I thought they pulled this off.

Dan is a huge fan of Sho-Tyme and says Tara Jean and Everett made it look easy. He says they rose to the occasion and hit it. Karen only just learned what House was, but she says she really enjoyed the performance and says their chemistry was great. Tre says it was sick and dirty and fantabulous. They did an awesome job. Jean Marc says these two aren’t going anywhere and he loves them.

Back from the break and we’ve got Kim and Emanuel who’ve pulled Contemporary with Stacey Tookey. It’s about a couple reflecting back on life. Stacey says they’re going to have to fight for it.

They’re dancing to ‘To Build a Home’ by The Cinematic Orchestra, which is a fantastic song. The lighting is fantastic in this piece setting certain parts sepia tone like old photographs. I can see why they were finding this piece challenging. There’s some very different moves here which they seem to have really grabbed on to. These two are both really incredible dancers, much as I hate to admit it in Emanuel’s case. Loved it. Hate that I'm loving him, though...

Dan says it was flawless. Their timing was right on and he says he forgot he was judging. Karen says it was a brave piece that showcased a ‘quiet artistry’. She commends them for rising above their injuries and doing so well with the dance. Tre agrees with Dan and says it was perfect. Nothing else to say. Jean Marc loves them both and says (while choking up) that they made a memorable moment and rose to the challenge. I kind of love how emotional Jean Marc is. He chokes up at least once a week! Time to up the meds! ;) jk

Alrighty, Jamie Rae and Daniel are on deck now. Melissa Williams has choreographed a Disco piece for them this week. Looks like Jayme Rae has a problem with giving up the control. Melissa thinks they’re going to smash it.

They’re dancing to ‘Disco Inferno’ by The Trammps. They’re doing pretty well as far as the steps are concerned, but this seems....heavy to me. The timing’s all good and the lifts are pretty smooth, but something’s just off a bit and I don’t know what it is. This was 'meh' for me - and I really really like these two, so I'm disappointed. I agree, Carly...

Dan says it was a great routine but not very well danced. He says they needed to get cheesier with it and doesn’t think they committed to it. Karen enjoyed it and says it was entertaining. Tre says it was sexy and disagrees with Dan. She says they killed it. Jean Marc says it was total liberation and the vibe was all there. Huh. I kind of agree with Dan.

Now we’ve got Danny and Natalie. They’ve drawn West Coast Swing with Benji Schwimmer. The story is about a girl who tears out a guy’s heart. Nearly literally, it looks like.

They’re dancing to ‘Love Lockdown’ by Kanye West. Benji always puts such a modern twist to his dances. There are elements of this piece that are just fantastic. Little curious moves that grab your attention. However, in between those moves, it’s pretty clear there are some issues. They both seem to struggle in a few parts with getting their hands into the right positions and grabbing the right way. I get the feeling that neither of them were particularly comfortable with this style. SYTYCD US - Season 5, Jeanine (the winner) and Phillip (the Chbeeb) danced to this song - I had a hard time not comparing the two routines. BUT - after I watched this one a couple of times I really started to appreciate it. Well done kids! Too bad they used a Kanye song the week of Kanye/Taylor-gate. Yeah, when I saw the song choice, I got an instant bad taste in my mouth... he's such a jackass.

Dan really liked the performance and says it was a different approach to the West Coast Swing. Karen says they owe Benji some gratitude because he created a piece that made them look great. Tre says it’s difficult to critique but says the performance was well done. Jean Marc says their connectivity was really good and says Danny really showed up this week. He loved it.

One more pair and it’s Austin and Corynne. They’ve got Jazz with John Byrne who I think is new. It’s apparently Old Hollywood style Jazz and it looks like it’s got some challenge to it.

They’re dancing to ‘Paparazzi’ by Lady Gaga (Kim's Favourite! lol). Right off the bat they get that first lift really well and she does this great sideways leap into his arms that’s fantastic. Okay can we have just one week without the dancers making out. It’s like it’s become a plot device on this show that’s getting really tired. It works when it flows, but it’s starting to feel forced. Aside from that piece, this is a great dance. Had these two been paired from the beginning, I don’t think we’d have seen either of them in the bottom three at all so far. Great partnership. I think this was my favorite number of the night - the lifts were incredible!

Dan says it was very well danced and says they both shined. He says it completely worked. Karen really enjoyed the whole thing, especially their chemistry. Tre says they have a dirty crowd and Jean Marc is the leader of it. Hee. Dan says it’s Canada. Hee. She says both of them are destined for Top 10. I agree. Jean Marc says it was fantastic and clean and lean.

That’s all folks! Up for the Bottom 3 this week? Tough to say for sure. I’d say perhaps Jayme Rae and Daniel, but they’ve got a good fan base working for them. Maybe Natalie and Danny. They could see some unfortunate Kanye West backlash. Ugh. It’s getting too hard to pick now! There’s too few couples! Not even going to offer guesses here...the voting public of Canada is too unpredictable.

I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. Tomorrow’s results show features a very hot group routine from Blake - although, wouldn’t it be great if they postponed that and did a Patrick Swayze/Dirty Dancing tribute, all things considered? It was announced this morning that one of those 'other' dance shows will be doing a tribute. Probably won’t happen but maybe next week? Come on Jean Marc. I know you’re reading. See what you can do!

Carra’s back tomorrow night with another round of results as well as the second episode of SYTYCD US auditions. Stay tuned for more!

Cheers!