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RSS'So You Think You Can Dance': Mollee and Nathan win an undeserved reprieve
Finally, America has had a chance to vote on season six of "So You Think You Can Dance," and I'm already unhappy with the results. The grass is always greener, I guess! And Cat Deeley must've pissed off someone in wardrobe and makeup, because she looks like she's wearing about four pairs of false eyelashes and a pound of eye shadow, plus some sort of 80's monstrosity of a prom dress in a shiny animal print.
Group Number:
Hip Hop/Dave Scott/"Warrior, Pt. 2" by Lloyd Banks: We're rocking a tribal theme in tonight's group number, and I love it. The routine does a great job showing off some individual talents (Jakob, Russell, Legacy), and while the dancers aren't 100 percent in synch all the time, it's a pretty strong hip hop number considering we've only got three out of 16 dancers on the stage.
The first couple in the bottom three is Ellenore and Ryan, which isn't unexpected but is still unfortunate. I'm going to choose to look at the positive and just be happy we'll get to see an Ellenore solo. I'm also going to take this moment to comment on Ryan's beige on beige on beige outfit. Yeah. After Cat fakes out Kathryn and Legacy (and for the record, she didn't fool me at all), we discover that the second couple in danger is Pauline and Peter. The quickstep strikes again!
The third couple, surprisingly, isn't Nathan and Mollee...it's Kevin and Karen! I blame the judges for this - they heaped criticism on Nathan and Mollee, galvanizing their fan base, while Karen and Kevin got raves for a routine that really wasn't that exciting. I'm not saying Mollee or Nathan should've gone home necessarily, but they definitely belonged in the bottom.
Before the solos, we're treated to a performance by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. These guys really know how to use stillness just as much as they use movement. Now on to the solos...
1. Ellenore
Song - "Eleanor" by Alexa Woodward: Her solo is beautifully, comically quirky, but maybe a little too randomly so for the judges. I preferred her Vegas solo. And I can't say I support the namesake song situation...
2. Ryan
Song - "Jump With My Baby" by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy: Well, for a solo ballroom routine this was okay, though the backflip didn't seem to make it all the way around. Can't say I'm in love with the pelvis shaking (or, again, the beige outfit - I don't care if he was going for a military look), but it's solid enough.
3. Pauline
Song - "Took the Night" by Chelley: Hmmm. I'm not sure this was at all a good idea. Doing the sexy semi-hip hop thing is NOT dancing for your life, especially when you've been in the bottom before.
4. Peter
Peter chooses to go song-less, which is definitely a risk. It's a fair solo, but again I'm not sure he's quite dancing for his life. That said, I'm far from an expert on tap, and I'm sure this was a lot harder than it looked.
5. Karen
Song - "Celia Y Tito" by Celia Cruz & Tito Puente: See, this solo was all about the sex, but I think that works much better in a salsa routine. No way she's going home - at the very least, Nigel wouldn't send home someone he so loves to drool over.
6. Kevin
Song - "I Question Mark" by Wade Robson: Hmm...picking music by one of the choreographers? I'm gonna say that's sucking up a bit. I definitely like the solo, but it wasn't nearly as dynamic as it could have been.
Nigel begins by giving everybody a general note: nobody delivered an outstanding solo, especially compared to the soloists in season five. Agreed 100 percent. He warns Karen that younger voters may be intimidated by her sensuality, and it could cost her votes. (Read: "You need an older man to really appreciate you. ...And on an unrelated note, did I happen to hear you're getting a divorce?") He tells Ellenore that by being so quirky, she could lose her competitive edge. Pauline, they feel, has been coasting in the competition on classroom-level dancing, and they send her home. So far, so good.
The judges are unanimous on the guys as well as the girls. Nigel warns Ryan that his acrobatics were weak (yep), and that his partner partnering (though in my mind, he would've been right either way!) has been stronger thus far. Peter, Nigel notes, hasn't shown star quality. Kevin could've stepped it up more, but Peter's the one heading home, and The Year of the Tapper has officially come to an end. Nice work, judges. Keep it up! America, I give you a B minus.
Did you agree with the judges? What do you think about Kevin and Karen being in the bottom rather than Nathan and Mollee?
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Nathan and Mollee totally deserved a bottom spot, but agreed the judges caused a backlash. Have they learned nothing from past season mistakes? (Hello Danny, Cedric..)
Nigel dissed the hell out of Nathan. It was harsh but well-deserved. And boy, did Nathan look (defeated) humbled.
Nollee did deserve bottom three, but probably shouldn't have gone home anyway so I'm okay. Pauline was the clear choice for the girls. Given Kevin's two for three terrible performances I think he should have gone home. I'll get over Peter pretty quick though.
Really glad Nigel acknowledged Season 6 is not actually better than Season 5 yet/necessarily. Way too much hype. On to next week.
I turned on the program just as Nathan was receiving a tongue-lashing saying he was voted on because girls liked him, not because of his dancing. I thought that was pretty harsh. They've been raving about his dancing every week: one bad dance should've landed him in the bottom 3, but not home. Sure, his come-back the night before about being "hot" seemed immature, but that doesn't really reflect on his dancing. But he did look humbled and chastened.
I think the ones who did go home were the right ones for this week.
Jakob, Karen, Legacy and Kathryn are my faves at the moment but a couple others (Russ and Noelle) are staying right there. I am excited about almost all the remaining dancers! Kevin would be the exception. If they were going to invest in someone, maybe the guy with the crappy partner and a dance of death draw should get the benefit of the doubt over the hiphopper that disappeared during his hiphop (okay Karen is freakin hot, but still...)
I think it was a poor song choice by Kevin. This is a song that Ivan from Season 2 and Twitch...the best hip hop dancer ever on this show...period, also danced to. So this song choice definitely drew instant comparisons to that. Also, I loved that Nigel gave the solo shout outs to Ade, Brandon, Jeanine, and Kayla and not Evan. Awesome!
I believe Nigel told Ryan his partnerING has been stronger than his solo.
I am SOOOO glad Nigel said what he did about Nathan!!! I was sooo disgusted by Nathan's childish behavior!!! Mollee and Nathan TOTALLY deserved bottom 3!!!! I think it is so sad that the only reason they didn't get bottom 3 was due to their age and "hottness". Lame! I'm in my twenties and though, I do think they are a cute couple, I would NEVER vote for them simply based on appearance or personality!! Tonight was just ALL wrong!!!
I'm also ASHAMED of the immature people ( more than likely tweens) that voted for them based on one reason and one reason ONLY! Use your BRAIN next time, please!
Nathan certainly deserved calling out, but Nigel sort of humiliated him by saying that his fans only like him because he's cute; not because of his dancing. Now, it's very possibly true but that is the nature of the beast. Voting for "America's Favorite Dancer" is by design, a popularity contest.
Nigel telling the audience to sit down and shut up was also kind of too much. I get it - he's the cranky judge/executive producer who tells it like it is, but sometimes he's just harsh and kind of rude (when he's not being lascivious)...
I'm a bit torn on the constant harping on the solos too. Were they great - not really, but this is not So You Think You Can Choreograph... not every dancer can come up with great solos. Or at least not multiple ones.
Much like actors with audition monologues, I think you have one or two perfectly polished pieces and after that you're sort of winging it - throwing things together you think might work.
I agree with who went home this week though and of the remaining dancers, I'm sort of finding Kevin and Channing next on my list...