Rob Marshall and Lady GaGa joined the So You Think You Can Judge panel this week, as the dancers put in 12 performances. Makes me tired just thinking about it…
Sasha & Pasha – Quickstep (Jonathan Roberts) – Their dancing was over exaggerated in the beginning. It looked like Pasha was holding Sasha upright and, if he wasn’t there, she’d fall right over. The dance was done well, but will probably be forgotten. There was something tribal about Sasha’s dancing, but it could have been because of the headpiece. My Grade: B+.
Caitlynn & Ivan – Hip-Hop (Marty Kudelka) – Just like the song, the performance felt very 2004/2005 as if Ivan was a contestant instead of an all-star. Caitlynn fit perfectly during the routine, but the routine felt safe and cliché. My Grade: C.
Jordan & Ade – Jazz (Tyce Diorio) – Tyce proved again his Jazz routines are better than his Broadway. Tyce implemented all of Jordan’s flexibility and sex kitten attitude to her full potential. The assisted lifts and jumps looked easy with Ade easily lifting and throwing her around. My Grade: B+.
Ricky & Anya – Jive (Jason Gilkison) – The dance was fast and the flicks were in full effect. Usually Anya looks too mature for her partners, but the combination of her hair and Ricky’s joy covered it up. Ricky lacked bounce and it was noticeable because of his height. The final lift looked sloppy and I was afraid that Anya’s head would crack the floor. My Grade: B+.
Jess & Lauren G. – Lyrical Hip-Hop (NappyTabs) – The beginning with the rose wasn’t the best and the some moves emphasized by the beat didn’t work until the chorus section side-by-side choreography. The music ended so awkwardly that it left a bad taste in my mouth. My Grade: C+.
Tadd & Lauren F. – Jazz (Mandy Moore) – The Michael Jackson-esque opening worked well for Tadd (It wouldn’t have for Robert) and Tadd gave it the right jazz touch. Tadd immediately lost his hat and kept going, and it would have been interesting if Lauren tripped on the hat. The choreography was fun and the concept of burglars made sense without Mandy’s explanation. I wished that Tadd would have recovered the hat. My Grade: B.
Marko & Allison – Contemporary (Sonya Tayeh) – The dance was about not being judgmental and showed Marko channeling his inner pain. He dedicated the performance to his mother and you could see he was dancing with all the passion to prove to his mother his worth. The dancing was stunning and looked effortless. The couple worked as a cohesive pair and fed off of each other’s energy. My Grade: A.
Caitlynn & Tadd – Foxtrot (Jonathan Roberts) – There was a lot of time wasted in the beginning to try to set up a story to delay the in hold dancing. The dancing looked okay, but Tadd’s height or Caitlynn’s lack of bounce on her knees was distracting. The final lift sequence worked perfectly and the dance ended beautifully. My Grade: B.
Marko & Ricky – Hip-Hop (NappyTabs) – For two contemporary dancers, the two did a good job capturing the swagger of a hip-hop dancer. The side-by-side choreography wasn’t perfect and Marko’s silly mugging faces were distracting. The tempo change proved that the two could keep up with faster choreography. My Grade: A-.
Jordan & Jess – Rhumba (Jason Gilkison) – The chair was an interesting distraction for less hold like the foxtrot. The fact that Jordan didn’t have shoes on and managed to keep a point to her foot was commendable. The dress wasn’t the best for Jordan; the fringe better fitted a samba and while Jordan isn’t fat, areas of her dress made her look like a ham tied with rope. Jess looked strong with his lifts and shouldn’t be criticized for his lifts in the future. My Grade: B-.
Melanie & Sasha – Jazz (Sonya Tayeh) – Sonya wanted women portrayed as beasts and the dance started with the two girls colored like She-Hulk. I liked Sonya’s interpretation of Dubstep because it brought out Melanie’s precision and Sasha’s primal dancing and both fed off of each other. The backhand walking near the end had so much power through such an easy movement. My Grade: A.