Erica: Before we begin, I want to tell you all that I saw Godspell this weekend and I was reminded of Katee and Joshua, my favorite couple ever, dancing to “All for the Best”, which is from that show. And this was basically just an excuse to link the video.
Group Number – Hip-hop, choreo by Pharside & Krystal Meraz
[“How It’s Done” by District 78]
Erica: So in this one, half the dancers are in all black and half all white – but very quirky and not uniform at all. Then they hip-hop.
Kate: Very Gaga-esque, no?
Erica: EXACTLY WHAT I WAS THINKING!
Kate: I thought this was too much clothing to be able to dance well in. The routine had its moments, but I don’t think everyone was fierce or sharp enough to give the full effect of what it was supposed to be. You know?
Erica: I don’t know about the clothing being an issue. I did not think everyone was sharp; this group does not seem to be great, in aggregate, at hip-hop. And I thought the dance itself took a while to warm up. There were some cool moments at the end, but for the most part it dragged.
Kate: Hold on, Misty again? I appreciate her legitimate critiques, but are they having trouble booking other guest judges already?
Erica: Yeah, I don’t know what’s up with that. I mean, yes, please, real dancers giving intelligent critiques that teach me about dance. But it’s pretty weird for them.
Cat’s Outfit
Kate: Hmmm. I like it, but not with all the necklaces (specifically the shorter ones, or is it all one necklace?).
Erica: Oh, really? I kind of like the necklaces.
Kate: Wait, it’s a jumpsuit? Never mind. Hate. Good makeup (darker than usual) and hair, though.
Erica: I am, as a principle, against jumpsuits. However, IF there were a jumpsuit that was marginally acceptable, and IF there were a person suited to wearing one, then Cat would have looked pretty good tonight. Many, many yeses on hair; I thought the make-up was a touch overdone.
Kate: Meanwhile, an animal has died on Mary Murphy’s head and she stole my Wednesday Addams dress!
Erica: I am not understanding Mary’s situation at all. At. All.
Jacque & Zack – Hip-hop, choreo by Keoni Madrid & Mari Martin
[“Stay With Me” by Sam Smith]
Kate: Weeeeee Sam Smith! Sam Smith! Seriously, I’ve been listening to him for five days straight. “Nirvana” is my new favorite.
Erica: Is he the dude you were kvelling about last week?
Kate: Yes! So Zack did a great job in this, he continues to impress me. However. Jacque looked awkward, like she had trouble getting down and dirty for the hip-hop, which is surprising because she did well at that with the African Jazz last week.
Erica: Well, this wasn’t really down and dirty hip-hop. I don’t even think I know what hip-hop is anymore. But yes, he was better than her.
Kate: Also, how could the judges have properly seen the beginning with them on the floor? That’s bad choreo (for TV), Keoni and Mari!
Erica: Well, no, it’s fine for TV. It’s bad for a live performance. How much do you love when Cat is in her gossip-monger mode? If this show ever ends, she should interview teeny-bopper celebrities on E! or something.
Jourdan & Marcquet – Contemporary, choreo by Dee Caspary
[“Disappear (Demo Version)” by Mikky Ekko]
Erica: Dee Caspary’s explanation of the dance and the story sounded to me like Contemporary Dance Mad Libs.
Kate: I may not have been paying attention to that.
Erica: I don’t like her. I can’t escape it. I just don’t. And, seriously, the two of you? We are supposed to be “surprised” to learn that Jourdan works out a lot and Marcquet…Dances? But hip-hop in addition to ballroom? Well, blow me over with a feather.
Kate: Her ballet legs paid off here, and she finally impressed me a little.
Erica: I did like this dance, but I think I might have liked the song more than the dance. I mean.
Kate: But I didn’t feel much emotion and passion from either of them. (Goodness gracious I agree with Nigel.)
Erica: Don’t you love Nigel’s “I’m not bragging, I’m just telling you the facts” face when he’s announcing Emmy nominations and other ways in which his little show is SAVING THE WORLD?
Kate: Hey, we love his little show!
Jessica & Stanley – Jazz, choreo by Tyce Diorio
[“Funkier than a Mosquito’s Tweeter” by Nikka Costa]
Erica: Oh my God, Fox has the longest commercial breaks.
Kate: I was all excited for Tasty Oreo, and then this left me with a befuddled expression on my face. Wah.
Erica: Why were you excited? I hate that dude most of the time. Especially when it’s jazz and not Broadway. Although I now have to give him gratitude for introducing me to the phrase, “funkier than a mosquito’s tweeter”.
Kate: I thought you used to like Tyce? II just didn’t get what he was doing here? And Stanley is really great, but I don’t think these two are a good match. Isn’t this her style, too?
Erica: I don’t know what her style was. It probably should be Broadway. She pulls a lot of faces and they’re cute, but Misty was right. They were a little too much here. I really like Stanley. He’s very long and graceful. (I’m sorry, Stanley. By saying I liked you, I have probably doomed you.) But it made her look kind of short and stumpy, which she’s not, but…Yeah. They don’t look good together. And this whole dance was super-weird and stupid and pretty much exactly what I expect from Mr. Oreo.
Bridget & Emilio – Jive, choreo by Anya Garnis & Pasha Kovalev
[“Happy” by Pharrell Williams]
Erica: PASHA! Holy sh!t the years are being so good to him. Her, too. I love Anya.
Kate: Well! What a great Jive song this makes, eh? Who woulda thunk it?
Erica: Too bad her outfit was so stupid. Did the costume people use up all their budget for the opener?
Kate: So this was really fun, and I really like her and thought she was a natural at the Jive. She was a little better than him, and I’m sad that she is one of the bottom three girls for the second week in a row.
Erica: She was sharper and kept better posture, I thought. Plus her attitude was exactly on point. But look, generally speaking, the more Jive I see, the more happy I be.
Emily & Teddy – Contemporary, choreo by Tyce Diorio
[“Ne Me Quitte Pas” by Nina Simone]
Kate: He was better than I thought he’d be at contemporary, and I’m starting to like her a little more, but I still just don’t love either of them.
Erica: Who are these people? I have no memory of them from last week.
Kate: And I’m just not sure what’s going with Tyce. Is he in a bad place right now?
Erica: No, he’s always kind of sucked. Except at Broadway, and, like, one contemporary dance ever. I will say they had some moments that were pretty small but quite lovely — at least one of the lifts, she looked like she was floating or something.
Brooklyn & Casey – Jazz, choreo by Bonnie Story
[“Crazy Little Thing Called Love” by Michael Buble]
Kate: Boy and girl at prom? Hello Lauren and Kent routine from season 8! (One of my faves!)
Erica: Yay links from dances past!
Kate: They both have great legs and this was cute and fun, but she fell off a little at the end and stopped hitting things.
Erica: I liked it. But, I mean, it was right up my alley.
Valerie & Ricky – Viennese Waltz, choreo by Lacey Schwimmer
[“I Won’t Give Up” by Jason Mraz]
Kate: What a DRESS! Did Zoe very much enjoy that fashion?
Erica: Zoe was busy watching Wall-E with her boyfriend Otis, who was sleeping over last night. Why is Lacey blonde now? Was she sad being the only brunette in Utah?
Kate: So this was far from perfect from a ballroom technique perspective, especially on her part because of her loosey-goosey arms, but they both performed it so great and I just love them so much. Like, so much.
Erica: Well, Valerie is my girl now that Marlene is gone. It did seem to me that they were leaving, like, no room for the Holy Ghost, you know, but other than that, I didn’t think a lack of technique negatively affected this. The Viennese Waltz can be boring as all get out; this wasn’t.
Carly & Serge – Hip-hop, choreo by Luther Brown
[“Senile” by Young Money feat. Tyga, Nicki Minaj & Lil Wayne]
Erica: Really, Serge? Carly liked to dance in college? I’m very surprised. Although his snarky delivery kind of saved it.
Kate: Um, I didn’t appreciate the condescending tone about her joining a dance team. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with THAT, people!
Erica: I think he was mainly teasing her about insisting that it was different from cheerleading.
Kate: EITHER WAY! I didn’t want to like this routine — seriously Luther, skeleton costumes? — but I did. They were both better at hip-hop than I thought they would be, even at the subtle things. Serge more so than Carly.
Erica: I guess. I continue not to be massively impressed at this group’s handle on hip-hop. I mean, it was okay but it didn’t sing for me.
Tanisha & Rudy – Broadway, choreo by Warren Carlyle
[“Sing Sing Sing (Part 2)” from Fosse (Original Broadway Cast)]
Kate: This did not work for me. I am in almost complete disagreement with the judges this season, eh?
Erica: Really? I thought it was totes fabulous.
Kate: I mean, the winner of the competition is going to star in a new Broadway show. Neither of them were sharp enough to star in a new Broadway show, they just weren’t! They were barely even together the whole time!
Erica: Really? This one sang for me. I thought they were very sharp and great. And then Cat got all match-makey and it was adorable.
Kate: Well, that was pretty cute. So I was overall disappointed with this episode. Nothing really melted my heart.
Erica: I try to remember that I feel this way at the beginning of almost every season, but I’m kind of eh on the contestants this season.
Non-SYTYCD Performance
Kate: Hey look how cool I am — I saw A Great Big World live in New Orleans, they were a surprise guest during Christina Aguilera’s Jazz Fest performance.
Erica: Yes, Kate. You’re very cool. I love this song, btw. That’s okay, right? I know I sometimes have absurdly horrible taste in music but this is legit good, no?
Kate: Yes!
Results
Kate: WHAT? SERIOUSLY?
Erica: Well, I’m glad Jourdan is gone, so I don’t have to critically examine my visceral dislike of her.
Kate: Jourdan I understand, but Stanley? Seriously?! He was one of the best guys!
Erica: Yeah, I thought he was so elegant. But I’m not going to cry for him like I did for Marlene.
Kate: Well, tune in next week for the top 16, when America and the dancers hopefully get it right this time!
Katie Boe 