Thursday, July 12, 2007

So You Think You Can Dance Recap and Rankings: Top 14



So You Think You Can Dance, how I have missed thee.

Guest judging tonight is Hairspray choreographer and director Adam Shenkman, who, like Debbie Allen before him, has a lot to say. That"s the thing about these choreographers and directos -- they like to tell people what they think about what they are doing. Mary, on the oher hand, has completely lost her mind. A silent scream that can be heard in Tokyo? Okay, honey, time to take the pills.

On to the performances, listed in the order of favorite-to-least-favorite.

1. Dominic and Sabra
After their disastrous disco the first week, who knew I would be loving these two so much. This dance was hot, and so sharply executed that I literally sighed at the end of it. D-Trix looked mighty fine in those red pants, and his moves were extraordinary -- he looked like he was ready for a music video. And Sabra matched him every step of the way, never betraying the fact that she's not a hip hop girl at heart. Loved it.

2. Neil and Lauren
It seems as though "jazz" is being used as a catch-all to mean whatever the hell the choreographer wants it to mean. As long as the choreographer is Wade Robson, I'm cool with that. These two had a lot to prove this week, since they've only given one halfway decent performance, and last episode saw them fall to the Bottom 3. They delivered this week big time,fully committing to their characters and showing some real chemistry. I thought this was the best they've been so far, and they showed they deserve to be here.

3. Lacey and Kameron
These two entertain every single time, but I'm starting to think that has a little more to do with Lacey than it does with Kameron -- she really pops, in a way that he doesn't. Having said that, he is adorable, and he never lets her down as a partner. But all in all I loved this performance, which is a bit surprising considering disco is never my favorite style. It'll be interesting to see what happens when Kameron has to dance with a different partner -- perhaps Lacey's star is just a bit too bright for him, and when he get out of her shadow he'll really shine.

4. Danny and Anya
I would have thought these two dancing a contemporary routine would have easily topped my list this week, but as Adam Shenkman was trying to explain, there is something about Danny's demeanor that prevents he and Anya from really connecting and bringing true passion to the dance floor. Lacey and Kameron would have eaten this routine up, while Danny looked like a sensational dancer going through the motions, and Anya looked like a woman alone on the stage. It was beautiful on the surface, but it had no depth. If they keep this up, they're in trouble.

5. Hok and Jaimie
Even though I think Jaimie is dumb as a box of nails, I found her quite entertaining during her intro clip, as she hemmed and hawed over whether there was something going on between her and Hok (did anyone else notice the little kiss she gave him after their performance?). Yes, Hok was out of his element, but he was present and engaged, and I give him a lot of credit. And Jaimie was gorgeous -- the second episode in a row that has been the case. I guess I'm gonna have to reconsider my stance on this one.

6. Pasha and Sara
Honestly Benji? Get a job. I'm a little over seeing you on the show every week. And can I just say how pissed I am that Heidi was not acknowledged during the whole segment (except briefly by Kat at the end). I realize she didn't win the contest, but she did come in 4th place, and the viewers probably remember her. Just rude. Anyways, I didn't like this performance. Maybe it's because the only people I've ever seen do West Coast Swing are Benji, Heidi, and Lacey, and these two didn't look anything like them. Whatever the reason, it seemed rushed and awkward to me, and quite frankly I can't understand how the judges got so worked about it. Sorry Benji, not my thing.

7. Cedric and Shauna
I think the judges are trying to use reverse psychology with the viewers, because what I saw was absolutely horrible. I was starting to like Shauna after her Mia Michaels performance, but she brought her game down to Cedric's level tonight, and that's not a good thing. I mean, it looked like the final performance in a local amateur class. Yes, by the end they had stepped it up a little, but the whole thing left me disappointed in Shauna and just blatantly annoyed that Cedric is still in the competition. Please, America, do the right thing and send this boy home...or at least to Debbie Allen's dance academy.

Individual Rankings:
1. Dominic
2. Neil
3. Lacey
4. Sabra
5. Lauren
6. Jaimie
7. Kameron
8. Anya
9. Danny
10. Hok
11. Pasha
12. Sara
13. Shauna
14. Cedric

Check back tomorrow morning for my thoughts on who will go home.

Click for more So You Think You Can Dance.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I really disagree with you about Pasha and Sara....

I mean I get what your saying about Benji, he's kinda getting a big head...

But sarah is doing some amazing stuff... And I really really liked the routine...

Did tonight seem like "cheap" or like I dont know the stage seemed very odd... Like not as many lights or something... haha

I am odd!

BTW... I love all of your blog entries.... the more the better!

Steph said...

I too totally disagree with you on Pasha and Sara, they ROCKED, one of my favorite performances of the night. It had everything, and it was the first time they danced together!!!

I really disliked Hok and Jaime, and the Mambo from Cedric and Shauna was pretty bad too!

Great Blog as always!

sumarie711 said...

I agree with you on Jaimie!

Don't care for the personality, or her looks for that matter, but (at least the last couple of weeks) you forget ALL of that when she's dancing!

Anonymous said...

I too disagree on Pasha and Sara...I really enjoyed it. And what's with the Benji backlash? His sister is in the competition so of course he's going to be there every week just like AI contestants families are there every week. I wish we would have seen this much of Nick Lazarrini last season. Getting a big head? He seems to be acting like the big old ham he is the same way he did all last season. I guess it's true. People love to build you up just so they can tear you down.

Heidi did deserve a little more recognition, but at least she was acknowledge unlike Ben Susak who helped Mia the first week.

I disagree on Shauna. She did a great job and I don't think she came down to Cedric's level at all. She's not going to b/c she knows she's much better than that.

Anonymous said...

Love Sara! She has really surprised me and is the best thing on the show. Overall great talent and personalities from almost everyone though

Anonymous said...

You put Kameron above Pasha? How ignorant are you? And, btw Pasha and Sara did a better routine rather than Kameron and Lacey as pairs. Cedric needs to go, Anya needs to go. Anya's hip hop routine last week was terrible, she looked very uncomfortable.