BWW Recap: All-Stars Dance & Choreograph the SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE Top-8
By: Matthew Allen Aug. 20, 2013
As I said in last week's recap, despite one of the most talented Top-20 in recent memory, I have been a little underwhelmed at times with this season of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE. However, it wasn't until I saw this BuzzFeed list that I realized that many of my problems have come from interesting but uninspired choreography; at least in comparison to the sheer amount of brilliance in previous years.
That's why I was really excited last week when Cat announced that not only would the Top-8 again dance with All-Stars, but that, for the first time in SYTYCD history, their partners would also be their choreographers. Just as I had hoped, this influx of fresh, young talent brought us one of the most exciting weeks of the season. From Mark and Jenna's jaw-droppingly bizarre jazz routine to Travis and Amy's sexy contemporary number, this week's choreography was fresh and had a creative life that had seemingly been missing for much of the season. While both of the eliminated dancers left after their best performances of the year, I have no idea how any of the six remaining dancers are going to be eliminated next week.Just a random question, but did Cat just get out of the shower right before the show started?
Top-8 Group Pe rformance
Choreographer: Mia Michaels
Style: Contemporary
Music: Movie to the Ocean (Baauer Remix) by Brick and Mortar
Three Word Recap: Aaronless, Creepy, Sexy
This week's guest judge was sitcom darling Jenna Elfman. I suppose in light of recent news, it is far better to have Dharma than Greg on the show right now, but who knew that Jenna had such extensive dance training?
Nigel let everyone know that this would be the last week that the judges would have any say in which dancers stay and which dancers go home. This week's top vote getters will advance to the finale, and, as always, the voters will determine who becomes America's Favorite Dancer after next week's show.
Dancers in Danger
Boys: Fik-shun, Tucker
Girls: Jenna, Hayley
All four in danger will be dancing. After seeing those solos, tell me in the comments below or on Twitter who you think should be saved. In my opinion, Fik-shun was extraordinary; Hayley was beautiful, but uneventful; Jenna is at a disadvantage because it is tough for ballroom dancers to dance solo, but she finished really strong; and Tucker's solo was jam-packed.
Performance #1: Aaron Turner
(for some reason FOX did not upload a picture of this routine)
All-Star/Choreographer: Chelsie Hightower (Season 4)
Style: Jive
Music: "Great Balls of Fire" by the cast of Broadway's "Million Dollar Quartet"
My Opinion: Aaron announced via his Facebook account this week that he had a somewhat serious rotator cuff injury and had to have an MRI to determine if he could continue competing. Eventually he was given the option of taking the week off or dancing through the pain. Considering how late in the game it is, taking a week off, even as the current male favorite, could have ended Aaron's run on the show. That being said, it was fairly obvious that his shoulder hampered him at times during the spins and transitions, but his quick feet and personality should have done enough to keep him safe for another week.
Performance #2: Fik-shun
All-Star/Choreographer: Allison Holker (Season 2)
Style: Contemporary
Music: "Skinny Love" by Birdy
My Opinion: Many critics have said that Fik-shun has been the same, smiley character every week. However, while his contemporary technique left a little to be desired, his performance this week was so moving and real that, for the first time, I saw him as a complete performer. The story of the number highlighted Allison's real-life interracial relationship with fiancé and fellow All-Star tWitch, and I felt that Fik-shun broke through and created a fully realized, moving character. I'm not sure if it should have been enough to push him past Tucker, who displayed outstanding technical prowess this week, but it definitely showed that Fik-shun has commercial potential beyond his natural hip-hop style.
Performance #3: Tucker Knox
All-Star/Choreographer: Courtney Galiano (Season 4)
Style: Jazz
Music: "Clarity" by Zedd featuring Foxes
My Opinion: I haven't been the biggest Tucker fan throughout this season, but the last two weeks he has shown as brightly as any dancer remaining on the show. The sheer technical brilliance he displayed in Courtney's death-less take on "Romeo and Juliet" was, in my opinion, one of the best performance of the season. He was able to mix beautiful artistry and powerful dancing to deliver his signature moment on the show. In my opinion, this should have been enough to not only save him from elimination, but to propel Tucker into the finale. Additionally, Nigel revealed that the gorgeous Courtney had recently been diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy and, for a time late last year, had gone blind in her left eye. While she was always one of my favorites before, I will be rooting for her even more now; in fact, I think that means I might have to start watching HIT THE FLOOR.
Performance #4: Paul Karmiryan
All-Star/Choreographer: Comfort Fedoke (Season 4)
Style: Hip-hop
Music: "Dum Dum" by Tedashii featuring Lecrae
My Opinion: Paul, who took a giant step forward last week, started the routine extremely "clean" for a Hip-hop number. Honestly, as the final guy of the night, the way he was performing early, I thought he might be on his way to elimination next week. However, when he and Comfort moved away from the cartoon-graffiti wall, his performance transformed from squeaky clean to downright dirty. I think Aaron is pretty safe to make it to the finals, but right now Paul has to be considered his chief rival. Fik-shun had two great performances this week, so you never know what the voting public will do, but in terms of dancing, Paul definitely deserves to be in the finale.
Performance #5: Hayley Erbert
All-Star/Choreographer: Dmitry Chaplin (Season 2)
Style: Rumba
Music: "Meant" by Elizaveta
My Opinion: In recent week's Hayley has been taking a meteoric ride towards the top of the SYTYCD standings, and this performance isn't going to hurt her at all. As sensual as any routine this season, Hayley and the always shirtless Dmitry might not have incorporated as many Latin steps as we were used to seeing in a Rumba, but when they did, they delivered. Hayley whipped her hips back and forth like a ballroom pro, and at this point, the Top-3 Girls as there has ever been. While Hayley might not have been considered a front-runner all season, no one should be surprised if she makes it to the finale.
Performance #6: Jenna Johnson
All-Star/Choreographer: Mark Kanemura (Season 4)
Style: Jazz, Bollywood, GaGa, Crizaziness
Music: "I Am the Best" by 2NE1
My Opinion: I honestly don't know if I have the proper words to adequately describe this one-of-a-kind routine. As well as Jenna danced, I have a feeling that most people who watched tonight's show will be talking far more about Mark's choreography than her performance. Mark's quirky choreography played like a brilliantly idiosyncratic combination of Psy and Dieter from Mike Meyers' Sprockets skits. Mark, who is one of Lady Gaga's principal dancers, said that he wanted this number to be about style, and while his definition of style and mine are worlds apart, this might have been the most inventive and intriguing routine in recent SYTYCD memory. Additionally, Jenna performed it perfectly; employing a bizarre, supermodel facial expression, this routine allowed her to channel GaGa, an AUSTIN POWERS Fembot, and a Bollywood star. That number just might end up being Mark Kanemura's "Travis Wall moment," making him one of the most exciting choreographers working today.
Performance #7: Jasmine Harper
All-Star/Choreographer: tWitch (Season 4)
Style: Hip-hop
Music: "The Power" by District 78 featuring Cheesa
My Opinion: I started the season thinking that Amy was easily the one-to-beat. However, a few weeks into the Top-20, perhaps because of her mutually beneficial partnership with Aaron, Jasmine found a confidence that catapulted her straight to the top. While this fun superhero Hip-hop routine, choreographed by League of Extraordinary Dancers member tWitch, won't go down as the best of all time, it proved that Jasmine could mix the strong and the sexy in a powerful way; more importantly, her super-flexibility, sharp movements, and charming personality should be enough to get her into the finale.
Performance #8: Amy Yakima
All-Star/Choreographer: Broadway veteran Travis Wall (Season 2)
Style: Contemporary
Music: "Wicked Game (Live at Killkenny Arts Festival, Ireland 2011)" by James Vincent McMorrow
My Opinion: As I said above, Amy was my early favorite, but I felt that she was being passed by Jasmine and Hayley in recent weeks. Like her former partner, Fik-shun, Amy has been pigeon-holed as the cutesy, silly dancer this year (which she does wonderfully), and I think that repetitive character has held her back. That being said, this gorgeous routine should prove to the voting public that Amy can be more than the sweet girl next door. She can, in fact, be sexy; she can, in fact, be mature; and she can, in fact, embody a deeply moving character. While I think the judges probably over did the praise for Travis' choreography, I think this was the exact partnership Amy needed at this point in the competition; and it just might be enough to get her back on track for the finale.
Dancers Eliminated
Jenna Johnson and Tucker Knox
If you have to be eliminated from a competition show like SYTYCD, it is always nice to know that you have been eliminated on the heels of your very best performance; and I can unequivocally say that both Jenna and Tucker provided phenomenal swansongs this week. While I have thought that Jenna has needed to go home for a few weeks, after tonight's performance with Mark, I am extremely glad that she lasted this long. After Fik-shun's solo started the show, I didn't think that Tucker had a chance to overtake the popular animator, but when Uncle Nigel asked Tucker to step forward at the end of the night, I was genuienly surprised and disappointed to see him leave.
Best Boy of the Night: Tucker
Boy That Should Be Eliminated: ...I guess Fik-shun... I think
Best Girl of the Night: Amy
Girl That Should Be Eliminated: ....... If I have to pick one..... I would say..... Hayley.... I guess.
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