So You Think You Can Dance: America’s Choice

This is ridiculous! When I saw that So You Think You Can Dance was preempted by Obama’s Presdential Address, I was a little peeved that my show was on almost until 11pm. I mean, I love writing my recaps, but I also have other shows to watch! The life of a TV addict is a hard one.

On top of that, they packed 10 couples’ performances and 10 solos into this week which must have given the producers a heart attack. (Can someone go check on them, by the way?) All this bloated programming meant we missed out on seeing any rehearsals which was really strange. The good part is that we finally get to hold the reigns. It’s no longer about voting for your favorite couples; it’s about your favorite dancer. And the judges have no say besides their opinions. If there wasn’t enough pressure already, all the couples have been mixed up as well. Let’s get to it!

THE SOLOS
In order of awesomeness!

1. Russell + Solo = Dope. Where has he been hiding all these tricks! He just gets better and better even when he’s flexing his own stuff.
2. Jakob is a powerhouse. The only reason he is number two is because it’s kind of expected how amazing he’ll be, so he was missing a little shock value.
3. No suprises here! Legacy’s solo was athletic and fun, and showed him as not just a b-boy but as someone who could incorporate other styles into his own.
4. Kathryn is in the same boat as Jakob. There weren’t a lot of new moves or surprises, but it was still gorgeous to watch.
5. Everytime Noelle dances I’m reminded how wonderful she is, especially in this light and joyful solo. But I forget about her when she’s not dancing.
6. This process must be trying on Nathan because his tears reached an inappropriate level. Either that or he’s really smart and listened to Adam’s advice. Something’s fishy here. At least his solo was a really unique mesh of contemporary and lyrical hip-hop.
7. Mollee threw in a ton of flips and executed them all like a champ, but now I need to see a deeper level of emotion from her. This isn’t Make It or Break It.
8. I fear for Ellenore because her solos are so quirky and odd that it could turn some supporters off. Hopefully they always remember how great she is no matter what style she tackles. I’m usually gushing but tonight was just okay.
9. Ashleigh is growing as a performer in all other styles, but it’s more of the same for her own. She’s at a disadvantage because she’s a ballroom dancer, but I can only watch high kicks and fast feet so many times as a solo before I fall asleep get really bored.
10. Only a tall, buff and very confident guy like Ryan would attempt a ballroom solo to “Rock You Like A Hurricane” by Scorpions. That’s a smidge too much cheddar with my bread, Ryan.

NOELLE AND RYAN
A hip-hop routine by Nappy/Tabs to “Give It To Me Right” by Melanie Fiona
It started off a little rocky, but these two found their footing in a style foreign to them. Noelle reminded me of Rachele Brooke Smith from Center Stage: Turn It Up. (And though I know only three other people and I have actually seen that movie, it’s a compliment.) Okay, maybe she looked more the part than danced it, but I give her kudos for the attempt. Ryan was also a little awkward, but that didn’t surprise me after his last hip-hop attempt. Maybe that’s why he was sitting behind a desk most of the dance. The choreography definitely didn’t help them, and it threw me off. Nigel thought Noelle dialed up the sexy, and Mary saw a completely difference dancer. Adam felt it might not have been Ryan’s highest moment, but it was a great one. Not in my book. 7

A smooth waltz by JT and Thomas to “Jeux d’eau by O” from the Cirque du Soleil soundtrack. (Is there some cross promotion going on?)
Nigel felt like it was the “prince and princess at the end of a Disney movie falling in love. He wanted more softness in Noelle’s face, but the rise and fall and flow were great. I was kind of bored. Yes, Ryan is a fantastic partner. I get it. But when does he get time to shine in these numbers? Overall, it was executed well and the lifts were effortless. Just didn’t bowl me over. 8

ASHLEIGH AND LEGACY
A Gary Stewart contemporary piece to “Poison” by The Prodigy
My first thoughts were strange style, strange choice of music. Contemporary on this show is usually about emotion, and this one was devoid of it to me. It felt like movement without thought. Something was just off. I stared in awe when Legacy stood on his head, but that was about it. Nigel thought they were “physically abused by [their] choreographer.” He also pointed out that Gary’s work “requires you to be so athletic and really defy gravity. It’s almost like Kobe Bryant or Lebron when they jump in the air and get as far as they can, they always seem a little bit further.” Maybe that’s why I so tired and confused after watching it. 8

A hip-hop number by Dave Scott to “Slow Down” by Bobby Valentino
I’m so glad Dave has stepped up and filled the Shane Sparks void. I didn’t really get the whole vampire and cape vibe though. It was distracting and a disservice to the number and the dancers. The judges didn’t hold back their disdain. Nigel wanted to see Legacy do more and lose the cloak. Adam pinpointed that the difficulty level just wasn’t high enough. But you can’t only blame it on the moves. They didn’t even seem like the dancers I’ve grown to love. 7

KATHRYN AND NATHAN
A Broadway number from Spencer Liff to “Choreography” from White Christmas by Danny Kaye
This was as close to perfection as I’ve seen Nathan since Las Vegas week. It was a very sweet ‘50s style piece that was a lot of fun. Clearly, I missed Kathryn’s old partner Legacy up on that stage with her. The spark just wasn’t the same, but I also thought Nathan would continue to tank, and didn’t. So you win some, and you lose some. Mary and Adam were anticipating trouble for Nathan, as was I, so they just chalked it up to Kathryn pulling the maturity out of Nathan. (I guess, more like putting it in.) To me and Mary, Kathryn is always gorgeous, and she just continues to twirl beautifully. 9

A rumba by Tony and Melanie to “Walk On By” by Aretha Franklin I didn’t really feel this number. I thought Kathryn looked beautiful, but Nathan seemed to be trying WAY to hard. He was puckering his lips and making funny faces which were not sexy. Like I, the judges just didn’t feel the passion in this number or the weird faces. Mary did commend Nathan on his back walks though, and Adam felt like Karthryn was dancing with such passion and purpose. It was as if she was in a competition. 7

ELLENORE AND JACOB
A Tony and Melanie quick step to “Four Brothers” by Manhattan Transfer
The Gods have been listening to my prayers. My two favs were paired up, and it was as kick butt as I dreamed. These two are so sinewy and sexy and talented; it’s otherworldly. Mary said that Tony and Melanie had a lot of confidence in them because they threw a lot of tough stuff at them. Adam called them as the couple he wanted to see all season. (…with our powers combined, Adam.) They say pretty people make pretty babies. Well, pretty sweet dancers make pretty sweet dances and cute little quick steps. 9

A Sonya contemporary piece to “Tore My Heart” by OONA & Dave Tweedie
Once again, this pair has proven to be the cream of the crop. I always figured Sonya and Ellenore would make a super nova-like pairing, and I was right. Even Nigel had to point it how they’re probably from the same planet. Mary coined them the new dream team, and Adam was ready to pass out from the sheer greatness of the number. I see two of the top three already. 10

MOLLEE AND RUSSELL
A lyrical jazz by Mandy Moore to “It Must Have Been Love” by Roxette
Wow! I wasn’t ready for that. This was the most anticipated couple for me behind Ellenore and Jacob. Mandy Moore is back in all her fabulous glory, and Nigel finally saw a woman. Seriously, I wanted emotions out of Mollee, and she sort of told me to shut it. There was a lot of body tossing and throwing. It was total abandon. Mary thought Mollee fed off of Russell’s strength, and the quality of her dancing just shot up a level.  Adam is scared of Russell when he krumps (in a good way) but acknowledges his transformation into a beautiful contemporary dancer and powerful partner. 9

A jive from alums Pasha and Anya to “Land of 1,000 Dances” by Jimmy Barnes
These two accomplished two things: keeping up with the fast pace and having a good time. Personally, the number was full of missteps and missed footings, but the judges raved about it. Mary even screamed for it, and it so did not warrant those decibel levels. And Adam and Nigel loved this new pairing. I wanted it to live up to their first number, but for me it was a hot mess. 7

THE RESULTS Tyce created a fantastic opening number for the dancers to “It’s Still Rock and Roll To Me” by Billy Joel. He didn’t even pop into my mind when I was trying to guess who choreographed it. I appreciated how he gave everyone an opportunity to bask a bit in the limelight. Then it was time for the results.

I call outrage! How did Kathryn get into the bottom two?! When it came down to Ashleigh and her, I was almost certain that Ashleigh, being the weaker dancer, would be the choice. (And I really do like Ashleigh, but she’s my number three.) Mary seemed like she was going to cry when asked to speak about Kathryn, and I was right there with her. I do think America got it right when it came to the boys by picking Nathan and Ryan, though Nathan’s solo was even better seeing it the second time around.

Next were the performances. Where were this Legion of Extraordinary Dancers hiding? (Until I realized they actually performed on Season 1.) Their performance took my breath away. It was modern, hip, urban and completely unexpected. The gravity and the magnitude that they danced with was inspiring. Also hooray for Quest Crew, one of the winning ABDC Crews, visiting the stage. (Season three’s Dominick “D-trix” Sandoval and Hok Konishi and Season 1’s Ryan Conferido are members.) They’re 10 times cooler because they brought Snoop Dogg with them.

WRAP IT UP
In the end, Nathan and Noelle were America’s choice to go home, and I believe they got it right tonight. Nathan just pressed too many of the wrong, emotional buttons, and Noelle wasn’t memorable enough for all that talent. At least, they’ll get to tour. That’s something to be happy about!

For another opinion on this episode, check out I Am Shaking My Finger At You, America by Trisha Huntsman.

Season 6, Episodes 19 & 20:  The Top 10 Perform & Two of 10 Voted Off (originally aired December 1 & 2, 2009)

For more on So You Think You Can Dance, click here.

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Photographs courtesy of Fox and IMDbPro