(Warning: fire up your flame throwers; the Mia Michaels number did nothing for me.)
Underwhelmed am I. This was the least impressive week of competition so far.
Sara & Danny: Well, this was a mismatch made in ... (Argentine tango) Sara underperformed in this number. I admire how far she has come and how much she has stretched herself, but she seemed a little too focused on getting this number right and lost the oomph she usually has. Danny was cool and sexy. (Hip hop): That performance by Danny was one of the weakest all season. This simply was not his style. Sara could have been great, but I think Shane Sparks had to dumb down his usual tough choreography to try and bring Danny up to speed.
Lauren & Dominic: (Krump): Well, Dominic lucked out drawing “krump.” This, indeed, was his number! Lauren was good, but could not hold a candle to Dominic. Let’s see what happens with the ... (Rumba): Dominic is a solid partner, and Lauren is a sexy dancer ... but this number was boring!
Lacey & Neil: (Latin jazz): Well, this certainly was not my favorite number of the season, despite how pretty Neil looks shirtless. I simply did not enjoy this choreography. I still think Neil’s technique is weak. He over prepares on turns and overextends his arms and lifts his shoulders. Nigel’s “dance school” performance comment summed up how I have felt about Neil all season. This was Lacey’s weakest performance, though I am not sure it is her fault. However, I do agree with the judges that the chemistry was not there for this pair. (Contemporary): I hate to criticize a number after an introduction like that, but an introduction like that sets a level of expectation, so ... I thought this number was weak compared to Mia’s other choreography and weakly performed. Perhaps my expectations were too high based on the intro, but I was decidedly unmoved by the choreography and the performance. (One of the great dance performances on television?!? What?!?) This should have been a better pairing, but I think they were not served well by their choreography. Instead, along with Sara and Danny, they are one of the two weakest couples for me tonight.
Sabra & Pasha: Now this is a pairing that I looked forward to seeing! (Broadway): At long last! A “Broadway” number to something other than Chicago or Hairspray! And what a number it was! Sabra and Pasha both performed at the highest level and worked very well together! (Quick step): Is there anything Sabra cannot do?!? She had character and style and worked her butt off to conquer a new style. She did luck out with Pasha as her partner. He was terrific as well. This was, by far, the couple of the night.
"I am open, and I am willing,
For to be hopeless would seem so strange.
It dishonors those who go before us,
So lift me up to the light of change."
Holly Near
