TOP 16: Performance

This week's guest judge was Toni Basil (Hey Mickey!). Believe it or not, she's been very instrumental in the street styles of hip hop we see today. She's receiving a Living Legends of Hip-Hop Award!

So. This episode left me a little...not really disappointed, but not really excited. Something hasn't quite clicked yet. I'm beginning to think no Season can yet surpass Season 4.

Here are my top 16 thoughts.

Jonathan and Karla
Dance: Hip Hop, Song: "By My Side" by Jadakiss and Neyo
Choreographer: Dave Scott

They did everything BUT kick off the night with their flat and lackluster hip hop routine. I thought Karla had better showmanship and had a pretty good "ghetto fab" side, but really wasn't good enough. She had some fluid movement but lacked energy. Most of the couple's facial expressions came off as super cheesy and way too "nice" for hip hop. At 3:10 the head nods were off and very "un-gangsta." Jonathan, poor Jonathan. I think he's what kept Karla from killin this routine. He is anything but "gangsta." He was entirely too "smiley." Really the only good part of him being in the routine for me was his flip at and 3:24. I'm really not sure how/why he made it to the top 20 over some stronger guys I saw (Ryan Kasprazak!), especially since he and Max are BOTH ballroom style. I don't think Jonathan's even that good in his own style. Maybe his cute little puppy dog face is what got him there? Karla certainly out danced Jonathan but neither danced up to par. I don't think it was Dave Scott's strongest routine but I don't think anything was wrong with the choreography. The dancers left this one less than satisfying.

Asuka and Vitolio
Dance: Jazz, Song: Heartbreaker by Pat Benatar
Choreographer: Mandy Moore

I thought it was a good, but pretty forgettable routine. It had potential to be more powerful, especially with the hard hitting 80's Pat Benatar music. At times Asuka and Vitolio were off sync too. I liked the outfits and the choreography but I thought it lacked hype! I love Mandy Moore but it seems as though the steps she gave them were too simplistic. Or maybe dancers should be able to take simplistic choreography and make it look good? I did love Vitolio's leap at the end though (4:10). Though, most of their simple jumps lacked explosion. Just a little more effort and I think they could have killed it! Aside from that, I thought the two coupled well and pulled it off nicely. I just love how sweet Vitolio was with Auska when she was getting upset. (The sweetest at 2:15). If I were in this competition I'm not sure how I'd keep from feeling that way every week (regardless of whether or not I showed it). I'm pretty sure I got teary eyed. I like this couple a lot and I'm rooting for them but I think they've got a lot to prove and need to step it up if they're going to gain America's vote.

Melissa and Ade
Dance: Rumba, Song: "Emotion" by Destiny's Child
Choreographer: Tony Meredith

So in rehearsal these two played it off like they couldn't get the dance down, but when it came performance time, they delivered. It was executed well but I found myself slightly bored for a few seconds. Nonetheless, the Rumba is a very technical dance and they really executed it quite well. Ade was a great support for Melissa and I thought the two flowed well from individual to coupled movements. From the moment the dance started and we saw the back of Ade's shoulders, it was clear he'd nailed the feel of the rumba. The movement flowed right from his shoulder as he breathed, down to his waist, then hips and simultaneously through his arms. He also had a really good mix of playing to the audience and focusing on Melissa. If I were Mary I'd have given him his own first class ticket on the hot tamale train! He danced so strong and masculine and I really hope to see him around further into the competition. Even though Melissa's not my favorite, I really liked her in this dance. She was strong and graceful and her technical training really helped her pull off some beautiful extensions. I agree with Toni's comment. I think Tony Meredith's choreography really helped Melissa and Ade. He's at the top of his game! And for those of you who know his partner, Melanie Laplatin, I have a little inside scoop that she's working on a side project of her own; hopefully she'll be back soon!

Brandon and Janette:
Dance: Hip Hop, Song: What A World by Common
Choreographer: Dave Scott

Well DANG! Who knew Brandon had some gangsta in him?! He was probably my favorite part of the routine because he's so technically trained and has these lines that go on for days- but the boy can get FUNKY too! He was hittin it likes he's been a popper his whole life. I loved his attitude and Janette's too. And though her outfit was "rock eccentric", I thought it a little too much like Cher or Janet. I like the idea but would have preferred her to just have black leather pants instead of the remnants of fish net hosiery. Regardless of costumes, she really brought it with her character too! I think these two are the new power couple. Last year Josh and Katee were the power couple (never in the bottom 3). It will be interesting to see if they can maintain their top spot. I think they totally deserve it. I've been really impressed that they keep getting "kiss of death" dances and absolutely killin em! Neither of them have gotten their actual style yet. I LOVE Dave Scott's style too and he seems like a genuinely nice guy. Some of my friends have met and worked with him and I hope to see a lot more of his work on SYTYCD. I loved his concept of the rock and hip hop fusion and I think it really echoed what has happened in actual music culture! Really like the way they ended the dance with Brandon in the chair and Janette with her rock hands. I thought the little clip of Dave feelin some competition from Brandon was pretty funny/interesting too. You can see it HERE at 1:47

Kayla and Kupono
Dance: Viennese Waltz, Song: "Sweet Dreams for You" by Jewel
Choreographer: Jean-Marc Genereux

Love this choreographer. Loving the waltz more and more. Loved this one but nothing (so far) has stood up to Twitch and Kherington's waltz and Mark and Courtney's waltz. :) Season 4 bias. Anyway. I loved Kayla's dress and I was surprised at Kupono's ability to dance so masculine. (Not because he's feminine but because he himself said he has no upper body strength and that lifts were difficult for him). They matched well and their movements were very, very fluid. They certainly didn't look like a new couple but Mary put them on the hot tamale and I'm not really sure why. I mean, it was good, but there have been better dances and Mary avoided giving tickets out for some of those. You probably already know I'm not a huge fan of Kupono and though he did well it will be interesting to see if he brings Kayla down or adds to her strengths.

Randi and Evan
Dance: Contemporary, Song: Koop Island Blues by Koop feat. Ane Brun
Choreographer: Mia Michaels

Ya know, it wasn't until I saw this dance for the second time that I really appreciated it. And now, I LOVE it. I love the burlesque feel and the contrast between Randi's sophisticated tease and Evan's simple mesmerized man. This is another one of those dances where the song really brought me into the dance. I really felt like this couple was downtown in a shady area wasting the foggy night away. I thought the couple did evenly well, but Randi really stood out to me. I think this is the dance where she blossomed and really proved herself to the judges. She wasn't just dancing the steps, she really stood out to me as adding something special to the routine. She had this, "je sepa," I can't put my finger on. She danced with such poise that I would have thought her a lot taller than she is. As for Evan, I saw a still of him that made me want to go back through the video and watch his technique. Randi is hot, but check out Evan's height, extension, and arms! I think he's a dark horse in his own right, not because he's not popular (believe me I've seen his following), but because he can really bring it when he needs to-in his acting and dancing. He was pretty adorable in this role and though there wasn't a lot of technique in the choreography, there were a lot of subtle moments that were accentuated to bring the piece to life. I could write pages and pages about this dance. Loved it! Kudos to Evan and Randi!

Caitlin and Jason
Dance: Paso Doble, Song: "O'Fortuna" from Carmina Burana
Choreographer: Jean-Marc Genereux

It was fun to see this dance by Jean-Marc in contrast to his waltz! Such power and commanding of attention. I thought the judges were only a wee bit critical of the performance but just enough that I could respect it as constructive and helpful criticism. Unfortunately I don't think this will be as popular with voters, though I can't really put my finger on why. It's tough to follow pretty a waltz and dances with a more detailed storyline. Not to mention the fact that they burst onto the scene with an impressive Bollywood routine and since, have had a difficult time living up to it. I really did enjoy this dance and though I agree with Nigel that Jason should have performed more to Caitlin, I like the showmanship he was directing to the audience too. Caitlin's clean lines gave her character a commanding presence, as if she was trying to say "I can hang with this Spartan man and I'm going to keep fighting him!" I feel like both Caitlin and Jason went all out with their performance and really tried their best to deliver a powerful dance. Overall they did a great job; especially with such demanding choreography. This dance was actually a little under-rated, especially after going back and watching it a few more times.

Jeanine and Phillip
Dance: Broadway, Song: "Moses" from Singin' in the Rain
Choreographer: Tyce Diorio

Definitely my favorite Broadway routine this season (ugh, we've only had one other one that did nothing for me-if you want to know more, see the first episode review). I also think this dance was bit under-rated and that the judges were too tough on Phillip. In fact, before I went back and watched it again, I think the judges comments made me forget just how much I loved it. If technique was off, I really didn't notice because it was non-stop entertainment. I think this can be attributed to both Tyce's stellar choreography (maybe some of his best Broadway stuff-or at least the most fun!) and Jeanine and Phillip's strong effort and energy. You know, for being a popper, I was really impressed with Phillip's grasp of the Broadway tone. Even if it wasn't quite 100%, I think he got what it's about and really pushed hard through this performance. The only time I really noticed him not being totally on top of technique was after he ripped his pants (3:02). Jeanine (love her)is continuing to surprise me. I think I wrote her off in the beginning (BEFORE the show started and I'm not sure why) but she has continuously delivered stellar dancing AND stellar acting. She also seems really fun and genuine. She was pretty dang adorable in this piece and reminded me of the sassy Lucy from "I Love Lucy."

Hey judges, were you even watching this dance? Maybe you should watch it again too. I loved it! You guys should watch it again too!