So You Think You Can Dance Review: Save the Last Dance…For Next Week

This is our last week before the finale. I can’t believe we’re already that close to the end of Season 8 (and I also can’t believe what that means about summer…can it be nearing an end so soon?). Wednesday night each contestant danced a solo, a routine with one of the rotating all-stars, and finally a number with one of their fellow final 6. The guest judges this week were the lovely Christina Applegate and Lil C.

Last week I said this season’s format has been my favorite they’ve tried, but watching this week one aspect started to bother me. In previous seasons the dancers have been let go according to votes, not according to gender. I think a case could be made for three girls staying for the finale and one boy (Marko) and though I’m sure we have the best girls and the best boys, I’m not sure we’re left with the four best dancers that have twirled and leapt across the stage. What do you think?

Back to the performances.

Melanie Moore

All-Star Dance: Napoleon and Tabitha D’omo Hip-Hop with Twitch, to “Roman’s Revenge” by Nicki Minaj ft. Lil Wayne

Final Dance: Spencer Liff Broadway with Tadd to “(Where Do I Begin) Love Story” by Shirley Bassey

Melanie, of course, continues to be the shining star of this season. More than one person on Twitter and Facebook has made a comment about her having the title in the bag. While I might not be as sure about that as some people, I can certainly appreciate the opinion. The judges comments have little or no constructive value, instead consisting of heaps of compliments and tears. Lil’C gave her some feedback about her Hip-Hop style, bookended by comments on how much he loved her. For me, I enjoyed the dancing better in the first piece and the performance better in the second. She is marvelous, and I guess I don’t mind saying I’d be surprised if she didn’t win it all.

Sasha Mallory

All-Star Dance: Tyce Diorio Contemporary with Kent Boyd (insert fangirl squeal) to “Fool of Me” by Me’Shell Ndegeocello

Final Dance: Kumari Suraj Waacking with Ricky to “Schoolin Life” by Beyonce

Tyce’s Contemporary routine really blew me away, and not just because I haven’t been able to shake my ridiculous crush on Kent Boyd that began last season. Tyce’s work this season has really showcased his range as a choreographer, and this dance was filled with passion, fear, and struggle – the combination of which left pretty much everyone weeping (including me). It was beautiful, and if anyone is going to beat Melanie next week in the finale I believe it will be Sasha. It was fun to see a new style like Waacking on the show, but from what little I know about it, they didn’t really do it justice and the result was a bit boring, if cute.

Caitlynn Lawson

All-Star Dance: Dmitry Chaplin Samba with Pasha Kovalev to “Drop it Low” by Kat DeLuna

Final Dance: Sonya Tayeh Lyrical Jazz with Marko to “Heavy in Your Arms” by Florence and the Machine

Caitlynn, for me, deserves to be in the finale just as much as Tadd. As far as her Samba goes, wow. She’s pulled off the ballroom pieces with more flair than any other non-ballroom specialist in maybe any season, she’s grown by leaps and bounds, and I really feel like she rose to more challenges (style-wise) than either Melanie or Sasha. The Sonya Tayeh Lyrical Jazz piece was one of my favorites of Season 8, and Caitlynn really threw herself into it emotionally. Combined with her amazing lines and technique, she helped turn out a really beautiful dance, and probably her best performance to date.

Marko Germar

All-Star Dance: Dmitry Chaplin Paso Doble with Janette Manrara to “Zorongo” by Athonio Gomez, Ely “La Gambita”, Guillermo Basilisco, and Paco Pena.

Final Dance: Sonya Tayeh Lyrical Jazz with Caitlynn to “Heavy in Your Arms” by Florence and the Machine

Marko began the season as the best guy and as far as I’m concerned he’s never really been challenged. The reason he and Melanie stole the show as a couple is, quite simply, because they are probably the most talented individuals on the program. I didn’t quite get into the Paso routine, and agreed with Christina Applegate when she mentioned he could have gotten a little “lower” into the piece, but there were some beautiful moments. Paired with Caitlynn and Sonya, Marko helped deliver magic and some fantastic acting, both things we’ve come to expect. If I guy is going to win this season (which I doubt) it would be him.

Tadd Gadduang

All-Star Dance: Sonya Tayeh Jazz with Ellenore Scott to “The Gulag Orkestar” by Beirut

Final Dance: Spencer Liff Broadway with Melanie to “(Where Do I Begin) Love Story” by Shirley Bassey

Sonya Tayeh is inarguably brilliant. The thing about brilliant creative people is sometimes they spend too much time conceptualizing things in their minds, and the result ends up askew. This happened in her Jazz routine for Tadd, and though I suppose the two executed it per her instructions, I didn’t get the entire piece. There wasn’t much dancing at all, and merely swinging around the room on a chandelier isn’t going to win any competitons. As far as the Broadway routine with Melanie, I think he kept up with her better than the judges gave him credit for, and his acting felt honest. They both did a wonderful job and I felt a bit bad for him as he stood up there listening to the raining praise for his partner when he deserved just as much.

Ricky Jamie

All-Star Dance: Dee Caspary Contemporary with Jaimie Goodwin to “Inside These Lines” by Trent Dabbs

Final Dance: Kumari Suraj Waacking with Sasha to “Schoolin’ Life” by Beyonce

Here’s the thing about Ricky….he was never going to make it into the finale. He’s a lovely dancer, but nothing about him screams passion the way it does for the rest of them. It’s like he enjoys dancing but he wouldn’t die if someone made him quit, which means he lascks some of the guts the others leave more readily on stage. I could be totally off, perhaps he does feel that way, but it doesn’t leave me emotional and in love the way the others do without even trying. His Contemporary routine was beautifully executed (and I loved the concept of a man trying to control his partner to get her to stay) but lacked that extra special something that would have made it great. He had a good time alongside Sasha wfor the Waacking but again, that whole routine was a little ho-hum.

Melanie and Sasha’s solos were amazing, both of them, and brought something new and fresh and daring to the stage. The other four did primarily what we’ve been seeing them do in solos the entire season.

The results show brought us video from around the world on (Inter)National Dance Day, which was fun to watch and I do love that this show inspires people to connect with their creative expression in ways they might not have considered. My favorite part of the night was watching Season 7’s Kent Boyd and Lauren Froderman reprise their Emmy nominated dance to “Collide” by Howie Day (choreographed by Travis Wall). I adore this routine. Yes, I may have watched the replay about 15 times before going to bed last night. Can someone please just get these two on television every week so they can dance and kiss and smile and make me oh-so-happy?

There was also a performance by the Bad Boys of Dance, which was entertaining.

The night ended as it had to, given the ground rules, when Melanie, Marko, Sasha, and Tadd were sent through to next week’s finale.

What do you think, America? Can anyone beat Melanie?

Season 8, Episodes 20 and 21 (original airdates August 3 and 4, 2011)

So You Think You Can Dance airs Wed. and Thurs. nights at 8/7c on Fox.

Photos Courtesy of Adam Rose and Fox