Hopefully they aren’t in the bottom three, although I could understand if they were. I actually liked the routine, and I usually hate weird ones. I like them as a couple.
I have a feeling Jason and Caitlin will be in the bottom again. I usually like the weird dances, but HATED this one! And regardless of the dance, something just rubs me the wrong way about Caitlin. I can’t put my finger on it, but it’s something like an air of insincerity or a phony quality. I’m not sure.
I’m really loving Sonya as a choreographer, she is seriously wacky.
I hate to say it, but I think that Evan and Randi were the weakest of all of the them. However, they are so darn cute that it would be hard to see them go. I don’t know how they’d be able to pull off disco or any of the genres that would require a lift. Evan’s just not strong enough.
Something about Caitlin rubs me wrong, too.
Loved Sonya’s routine, though I was all prepared to hate it. Hated the alien one, though.
Vitolio is so darn likeable but I’m afraid he’s much weaker than Brandon or Ade or Kupono. And someone should hand him a towel when he’s done so he doesn’t make me squirm!
Ugh, Caitlin’s outfit was terribly distracting. Those spikes on her head made me think she was some sort of twitchy, alien Godzilla. It just looked silly. I don’t think the routine did much for the dancers, and I don’t think they did much with it; I expect they will be in the bottom three.
Yeah, Mia’s “I was hard on you only because I know how good you are” is backtracking BS. During the audition process, she insisted she hadn’t seen anything to suggest he was as good as everyone was saying he was. She was nasty to him, and he stood up to her via his dance and shut her mouth. Well, I wish he had. Instead she has to act like she knew it all along. WHATever.
I think Evan and Randi are in trouble, too, as they simply did not have the WOW! effect a lot of the other contestants had…we shall see tonight!
So are they no longer assigning dance genres randomly? Apparently not if Melissa and Ade got ballet.
Question: How much lead time does the choreographer have between finding out who his or her pair is and starting to work with them? To what extent can he or she – or is he or she expected to – choreograph to the strengths or weaknesses of that pair?
Mia comment (and, believe it or not, despite my nicey-nice rep around here, I don’t hate Mia) du week: Snarking on costumes just isn’t fair. They don’t pick them, so critiquing a number because you don’t care for the costumes is just planting wrong ideas in the minds of the people actually voting.
I was pretty underwhelmed overall by last night’s episode. Certainly the best two numbers were Brandon & Janette and Melissa & Ade, and neither of those couples have made a single false step since the show started. Karla & Vitolio have had a more checkered history with the judges (and voters) but their first pairing was promising.
As far as the two story conceits go, I guess I’m tired of tedious Vampire chic (Kayla & Kupono) since I liked the alien number (Caitlin & Jason) more
Randi & Evan and Jeanine & Phillip were in familiar territory, but both felt like old hat routines for those couples, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they both ended up in the bottom 3 (though it’d be a mistake to underestimate the following each has gained, especially the guys). I think the first two couples I mentioned are safe, but any of the others are up for grabs.
Kayla & Kupono were my favorite last night. I didn’t feel like it was “tedious Vampire chic” - if they hadn’t introduced it as a vampire story, I don’t think I would have guessed it. But I admit I’m inclined to like vampire stuff (although I refuse to read/watch *Twilight[/]). I think the vampire story was more of an inspiration for a great dance, whereas the alien thing was contrived, obvious, and cheesy.
This is the first time I’ve liked Kayla as much as the judges do. This’ll seem really lame, but I think it’s because of her eye make-up. Usually her facial expressions get lost in all that blonde, but the dramatic, dark eye make-up let us actually see her face.
Ballet always reminds me of what a Philistine I am. I love Melissa & Ade - they’re my favorite couple this season - but I thought the Romeo & Juliet piece was kind of boring.
When they said they’d be dancing to Romeo & Juliet, I assumed it would be to Tchaikovsky’s music, which is the cliched “lovers meet” music that you’d recognize in a heartbeat.
I agree completely. To me it seemed like there was a lot of running around, but that’s just me.
Out of the bottom three they had, they kicked off the right two tonight… but it blows my mind that the other two couples were even IN the bottom three.
I kind of think Melissa is a bit overrated, but she’s definitely still a cut above several of the other girls left. Janette and Brandon are definitely my favorites at this point, and their piece this week was probably my favorite of the season so far.
I kinda want Evan and Randi to just go away, but if they didn’t get voted in the bottom three after THIS week’s performance, I have a feeling I’m going to be stuck with them for a while. :mad:
Well, I love Evan & Randi, and the vote certainly proved he/they have quite the following.
Kapuno definitely has a target on his back, and unless Phillip crashes and burns in a new, awkward genre, I have a hard time seeing him displace any of the other guys.
As for the women, Janette and Melissa are definitely safe. Both have quite ably demonstrated that even though they come from niche dance styles, they’re able to handle anything they’ve been given thus far (though tellingly, Melissa hasn’t done hip hop yet).
That leaves the other four ladies, the most vulnerable being Caitlyn. It’s going to be very tough for her to stay out of the bottom 3 next week (given her track record), and she can only do that upside-down-back-arch thing so often for her solo. Kayla is beloved, but just being in the bottom 3 hit her hard emotionally (and it showed in her solo), while Randi would be a newbie amongst the cellar dwellers so it’s impossible to predict how she’d be. Jeanine made a very smart and savvy solo choice this week, but if she’s in the bottom again, will she be able to repeat? Personally, I think Phillip has such a big following that their placement was an outlier (his fans might’ve assumed he was safe and didn’t need the support).
So if Caitlyn & Kapuno were to go next, I wouldn’t have a problem with that, while any other ouster would come off as very curious (unless the performance, both routine and solo, are abysmal enough to be impossible to ignore).
The thing that struck me with Caitlin’s alien dance was that she just didn’t hit hard enough. With music and choreography like that, it really needs to feel in your chest.
I feel a bit bad for Vitolio. Not that he wasn’t a bad choice to send home, but Kapuno’s solo was pretty much indefensible.
Yeah, I was thinking that … it will be interesting to see if the naughty ballerina can go gangsta.
Yeah, I’m missing what the appeal of Caitlin & Kupono is to the judges. I’d rather have Ashley & Max still around.
Melissa & Ade: Disco/Waltz - The disco was a lot of fun, but not as good as Brandon & Janette’s, but it was the first dance of theirs that really put Ade in the forefront and highlighted his numerous strengths. The waltz was ho-hum and felt more awkward and forced than what’s typical for them, but not bad. Still, overall one of the two strongest couples
Kayla & Kupono: Contemporary/Broadway - The addiction # was much better than last week’s, IMHO, and while the Bway piece started fine, it didn’t really build or escalate to something satisfying, and it was too fresh and wholesome for music that’s still a bit badass. Kayla’s a very good dancer, but loses herself so extensively that she comes across as a bit colorless in person, so I’m not sure how that plays in a contest so dependant on strong personalities (as well as talent). We’ll see, but I’m guessing they’re in the bottom 3.
Caitlin & Jason: Foxtrot/Jazz - The foxtrot was lovely but the style is not going to set many hearts on fire, no matter how well done. They lucked out that one of their best numbers of the season was the final one, but that only shows how stellar some of the other partnerships have been, while these two have had plenty of ups & downs. Never underestimate the shirtless factor, but I think they’re also in the bottom 3.
Jeanine & Philip: Russian/Jive - Nigel was right about the overly-folksy vibe that consisted that long middle stretch. Philip was made up to look like a Swiss clock character and while some of his footwork was good, those first few spin-jumps really showed his inexperience. Definitely the weakest number of the night. As for the jive, she mopped the floor with him (even if he wins Most Improved by the judges), and it makes you wonder what she’ll be like with a really strong partner (starting next week). She gets my vote for the female stealth candidate (Ade is the male counterpart), and even if they’re in the bottom 3, she’s safe.
Randi & Evan: Hip-Hop/Samba - The first time I’ve ever seen an argyle hoodie, the first number was perfectly calibrated to their skills and personalities, and it was a winner–completely believable in character by not trying to be something they’re not. Evan was clearly out of his element on the Latin number, but it was very effective as a showcase for Randi and he did his job in showing her to best advantage. Still, not a serious hit and they’ve proven they’ve got a following, so I think they’re on the cusp but probably safe.
Janette & Brandon: Tango/Jazz - Quite simply, the best tango ever on the show and really fantasticly executed. And to end with a Wade Robson number? An irresistable, playful, humor-filled slam dunk. Awesome.
Janette and Brandon’s tango reminded me of the professional tango couple at the beginning of the season. They were that good.
I am excited to see Jeanine and Kayla with different partners. Jeanine is really good and I like Kayla, but I’d love to see the latter with a manlier partner.
I really liked Evan and Randi’s hip hop. Like what was said, it would have looked ridiculous if they tried to have them lock and have it hard hitting. Theirs suited their style perfectly.
I hope Caitlin and Jason stay in.
Poor Philip and Jeanine. That Russian folk really shouldn’t have been on the show. There really wasn’t anything the dancers could have done to make it better. It was a bad routine and it turned me off to the style completely. I was just waiting for it to be over.
The hoodie totally cracked me up – it was perfect, as most of the costumes are. I think the costume department deserves way more credit than they get (the latter amount being zero). I wish they’d do a DWTS-style bit on the costumers.
Speaking of things other than dance – did Cat cut her hair, or was it just pinned up in a way that made it look like she did?
Of the dancing last night – Brandon and Janette’s number was way, excessively, cool – their sync was phenomenal – esp., as one of the judges noted, coming down the stairs. My jaw was scraping the floor throughout.
Alas, I missed the tango, was on the phone – had the TV on, but muted, and was only watching enough to register that someone was doing a tango. Damn. Will look for clips online later.
And back to Evan and Randi – the samba made it clear (if it wasn’t already) that Evan has exactly zero upper body strength. He just isn’t strong enough to spin her out to full extension. I’m a fan, but I don’t think a male dancer can win if he can’t do strength moves. I look forward to seeing what Randi can do when she’s paired with someone who can lift her.
Agree on Ade and Melissa’s waltz being awkward and disappointing.
And Jeanine and Phillip got so screwed with that Russian dance thing. The choreographers were pointedly invisible during the comments – not sure if they were even there.
Didn’t she look great last night? I am pretty sure her hair was pinned up.
Janette totally won me over in the Wade Robson jazz number at the end of the night (which is my favorite dance I’ve ever seen on this show). I’ve liked her the whole time, but her movement in this piece was fantastic - super slick and cool with a twinge of dorkiness. I absolutely, passionately loved it. Brandon’s great, too, but there’s still something about him I don’t love. I really want to see Janette paired with Ade.
Janette’s performance dethroned Melissa as my favorite dancer on the show, and Jeanine’s jive moves kicked Melissa down another notch. I liked Melissa in the disco number, but the waltz was not great, and I think she does that wide, little-girl-like smile too often - it’s sugary sweet and comes across as kind of fake. I think it would be disastrous for her to get a hip hop routine (unless they treated her and her partner like Randi & Even and essentially didn’t give her a hip hop routine). For the final four, I’d love to see Janette, Ade, Jeanine, and Brandon.
My least favorite dance of the night was Randi & Evan’s samba. The music was horrible, and they both danced it so lazily. Randi’s definitely better than Evan, and I think their partnership has handicapped her a lot, but I still don’t think she can compare to Janette or Jeanine.
I think the bottom three couples tonight should be Caitlin & Jason, Randi & Evan, and Jeanine & Philip. Out of all those people, everyone but Jeanine seems pretty much dispensable (Kupono’s also dispensable), but I think Caitlin and Philip should go home tonight.
I was truly wowed by Brandon & Janette (I keep mixing up Janette and Jeanine -argh! And I don’t think either one is going anywhere soon.)
I wouldn’t mind seeing Evan go home. He kinda reminds me of a college boyfriend, I may be holding that against him too much. But if he can’t lift Randi, he totally won’t be able to lift any of the other female dancers. The women only *look *like they levitate. And at this stage in the competition, how many routines don’t have serious lifts?
I admit to having a soft spot for Kupono that is possibly unwarranted by the quality of his dancing. I think I would have rather seen him as the addict and Kayla as the addiction.
While the Russian routine had its issues, I do think Joshua from last season could have rocked it much more than Phillip did. And if Phillip had really had the technique down, I think he has the personality that could have played it for laughs a bit.