So You Think You Can Dance — Page 12

Benji is sooo adorable. Very cute/dorky. He has very pretty blue eyes. He is also an amazing dancer.
Benji & Donyelle have been my favorite since I started watching the show.

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Well, here is my recap in order of preference. My top two, which were easy to pick, are tied, based on how vastly different the styles they danced were. One of those two was a HUGE suprise for me, so I will start with them:

Allison and Ivan ... it goes without saying that Allison was stunning, but Ivan was, surprisingly, fantastic. For the first time, I am glad Ivan is in the competition. Allison is my female frontrunner.

Donyelle and Benji ... you can't go wrong when you let Benji's personality loose! They are a great couple. Benji is my male frontrunner.

The next three couples are a toss-up. None of them wowed me, but none of them were a complete disappointment:

Natalie and Musa ... dancing aside, Natalie gave a terrific performance and sold the number.

Heidi and Ryan ... boring number and Heidi, who should have stood out, didn't.

Martha and Travis ... well excuted, but again there is no oomph in these two. They are, dare I say, too good technically.

My bottom couple was, unfortunately, also not difficult to choose:

Ashlee and Dmitry ... this was not Dmitry's style or number. Alas, his weakest performance.

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DBillyP - I pretty much agree with your groupings. I'm a big fan of the Benji/Donyelle pairing, personally. (Although my longer love of Broadway got a little in the way of being TOTALLY blown over tonight as I have in weeks past. No matter.)
I think Travis/Martha did a good job...but historically they haven't been great, so I don't think they have the fan base. we'll see.

I have to say...I was kind of liking Dmitry for a while...but I'm kind of over him. And he doesn't seem very versatile when not ballroom dancing. He seems very awkward in anything other style. He'll not make the top 4 or so, IMO.

I just re-watched (twice) Alison/Ivan's routine. Gosh, it was so beautiful. Stunning.

That's allowed

I love the contemporary routines. Allison and Ivan last night danced one of my favorites from this season. The contemporary routine that Dmitry and Aleksandra danced in week one was also outstanding.

Speaking of contemporary, can someone please tell me where Mia Michaels is?!?

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Well, I van certainly did give his best performance in the contemporary dance, but it doesn't change the fact that he shouldn't have even gotten this far, nor that he is well below the calibre of performances by the other men in the competition (remaining and already cut).

Benji is the likely winner of the competition with Allison not far behind, but I would love to see Donyelle and Heidi in the top four with them. Dmitry's time on the show was limited and this could be the performance that cuts him. It just didn't work. I thought Benji and Donyelle danced the hell out of what they were given, but I thought what they were given was pretty pathetic. Having seen the original choreography, I was severely disappointed in what they were given last night, half of which was simply running from one spot to the next. Meh. The Contemporary Copellia was more interesting than that. I also agree that Dan Karaty's choreography for Natalie and Musa was dull and lifeless.

I rewatched last season and nothing this season has come close to the amazing choreography to some of the numbers last season, most of which occurred in episode 8, and through the end. Favorites include (though I can't remember all the songs):

Ashle and Blake - Samba "Jazz Machine" (Ep
Destini and Jamile - Quick Step "Sing, Sing, Sing" (Ep
Kamilah and Nick - Pop "I Drove All Night" (Ep
Destini and Jamile - Hip Hop (Ep
Blake and Melody - Lyrical (Ep 9)
Melody and Nick - Disco (Ep 9)
Melody and Nick - Paso Doble (Ep 11)
Melody and Ashle - Lyrical (Ep 11)
Ashle and Nick - Hip Hop (Ep 11)

Nothing in season 2 has topped those performances except perhaps the Contemporary Copellia number. How was this show not nominated for Emmys for Choreography? The choreography is far superior to that in any episode of Dancing With the Stars.

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DBillyP, Mia Michaels was on the show last week as a judge. I beleive that she is also really busy with outside projects like the Cirque Delirium tour.

Aw, Musa! Somewhere, my friend is crying right now haha.

I wasn't able to watch it tonight, and I forgot to tape it..but I figure they'll replay it next week. And yay for Heidi and Ryan not being in the bottom three (I voted for them ).

Not to put too fine a point on it, but Nigel said Dmitry needs to do MORE than just show his abs. He did not say that he needs to put them away! He needs to leave his shirt off but do better solos.



With that said ... Ashlee and Musa were the logical choices last night, as they are more limited. Although he is sometimes a bit caustic, Nigel was spot on last night in his evaluations. If the judges were still involved, Dmitry would be the next to go. He looks bored and unsure of himself. Not wearing a shirt is what will keep America voting for him.

Travis's solo was technically amazing. It, finally, was as good as what I recall seeing in his audition. However, I still find him boring as a performer. I would rather watch a dancer who is not as good technically who can sell the h*ll out of a number than a flawless, yet lifeless, technician. I also was unmoved by the tears for his mother. They seemed a little put on to me.

As for the women, I agree wholeheartedly with Nigel's assessment of Natalie. However, I don't think she should take the blame. She has been dancing what she has been given in the style in which she has been costumed. Choreographers and designers have been using her beautiful, curvy figure to maximum advantage. Who can blame Natalie for continuing that into her solos? She sees that the people in charge think that is what she should be doing and continues it.

Martha, like Travis, was skilled but boring to me.

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It looks like Ivan is the new Jamile, who had no business being in the top four last season. I mean, Jamile was ok, but better than Blake or Artem? Seriously. Can you imagine if Ivan outlasted Travis, Ryan AND Dmitry?

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Or even better, it could be like Dancing with the Stars when Kelly Monaco should have been booted the first week and ended up winning!

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Benji's winning this thing, if I have anything to say about it.

I think it'll be between Benji and Allison. I wouldn't be disapointed if either of them won.. but I love Benji.