- SYTYCD Top 6 Dancers (minus Billy) with Cat - Photo from fox.com/dance
Last week Ashley Galvan was eliminated due to a rib injury. This week, the remaining six dancers will dance with six of the All-Stars, with each other, and in solos. This is SYTYCD's 150th episode in the US, and Kenny Ortega will be joining the judges' panel.
Knee Injury for Billy Bell
Billy Bell will not perform, as he injured his knee in rehearsals. While the doctors have cleared Billy to dance, he is not yet comfortable and, as Nigel says, Billy knows his own body. Billy will automatically be put in the bottom three, and if he is unable to dance next week, he will be sent home.
Nigel mentions the show will bring in professionals to add warmups with the performers. There have always been a few injuries, but with the serious injuries this season their daily schedules and workouts need to change.
Five of the Top 6 Dancers Perform with All-Stars
The first competitor is contemporary dancer Lauren Froderman with Stephen "tWitch" Boss, and a Tabitha & Napoleon hip hop by "My Chick Bad" by Ludacris and Nicki Minaj. Adam says Lauren is growing. Mia appreciates that Lauren was aggressive, but still kept her sexiness. Kenny mentions he has been a big fan of the show, and loved this piece. Nigel comments that Lauren rises to every occassion. The routine was enjoyable, if a bit off-track on the "wild west" theme, when Lauren rode Twitch like a horse (twice).
Second is street dancer Jose Ruiz with Allison Holker, and a Sonya Tayeh contemporary to "Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind Theme" by Jon Brion. Adam feels it was beautifully conceived, with the performance on the edge of the stage; however, there wasn't much "dancing". Mia says Sonya gave Jose "pedestrian contemporary", based in human gestures, and not technical contemporary with roots in ballet. Kenny comments that the partnership worked well. Nigel agrees with the others, and says Sonya tried to cover up Jose's weaknesses. It was one of Jose's better routines, but showed his lack of technique.
Next is contemporary dancer Robert Roldan with Lauren Gottlieb, and a Tyce DiOrio jazz to "Wasted Time" by My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult. Adam says Robert commands the stage, although he criticizes some hand twitches that may be a bad habit. Mia feels the piece was strong, but cautions Robert not to jerk his head when he jumps. Kenny liked the grounded but liquid movement of the piece, and Nigel agrees. The routine may have skewed too mature for the show's main audience (the theme being "just one word: seduction"), but Robert danced it well.
The fourth competitor is contemporary dancer Kent Boyd with Kathryn McCormick, and a Sonya Tayeh jazz to "Tightrope" by Janelle Monae. Adam thinks Kent's tricks were amazing. Mia agrees, but feels his face is sometimes too animated and takes the work to a juvenile level. Kenny says Kent reminds him of a young Gene Kelly. Nigel disagrees with Mia, and says Kent has shown fantastic personality for the last two weeks and outdanced his All-Stars. The piece had a lighter feel, and may have lended itself to some animation.
The final competitor in this round is contemporary dancer AdeChike Torbert with Comfort Fedoke, and a Tabitha & Napoleon lyrical hip hop to "Fallin'" by Alicia Keys. Adam and Mia agree the routine was intense, like a movie. Kenny feels it was honest and connected. Nigel thinks AdeChike moved to another level, and feels he cannot critique the dancing. While the piece was raw and emotional, AdeChike showed more restraint than Comfort, and the connection was impaired.
The Competitors Perform with Each Other
The first couple is Lauren and Robert, performing a Dmitry Chaplin samba to "Drummer Boy (SYTYCD Remix)" by Debi Nova. Adam thinks Robert's lines were crisp, and Mia feels he looked like a samba dancer. Adam says Lauren's footwork was unbelievable, but Mia critiques her heaviness in plie. Kenny says Robert's partnering and solo work were both amazing. Nigel thinks Robert's upper body is like Dmitry's. He agrees with Mia on Lauren, but says she made a connection with the audience.
Second is AdeChike and Jose, performing a Dmitry Chaplin & Legacy paso doble to "The Arrival/Rampage/Continued Existence" by James Dooley. Adam loved their commitment, but tells Jose to stretch his legs and feet. He tells AdeChike to have more abandon, which he also could have used in hip hop. Mia thinks the choreography had empty spaces (cape twirling and brooding) that their carriage didn't fill. Kenny says it was an "interesting exercise". Nigel thinks ballroom dancers attack the paso doble, and this was lacking.
The final couple would have been Kent and Billy, but with his injury Billy is replaced by All-Star Twitch. Good for Kent, since this is a Chuck Maldonado stepping routine to "Pro Nails (Rusko Remix)" by Kid Sister. Adam thanks the producers for introducing the new style, and thanks Kent for "kicking its ass". Mia feels the chemistry was great, and thinks Kent is the one to beat. Nigel tells everyone this is not the first stepping routine on SYTYCD, since he and Chuck previously choreographed "Five Guys Named Moe". He wonders if Billy would have been able to pull this off, but thinks Kent and Twitch did very well.
The Competitors Perform Solos in their Own Styles
Throughout the night, the dancers have also been performing solos. AdeChike performed to "This Woman's Work" by Maxwell. Robert danced to "Parachutes" by Trevor Hall. Lauren used "The Waves" by Elisa. Jose performed to "Give it Up or Turnit a Loose" by James Brown, and Kent used "End of the Road (A Capella)" by Boys II Men.
America Votes for their Favorite Dancer
Cat reminds the audience to call for their favorite. On Thursday, July 22, the bottom two dancers will join Billy, and will "dance for their lives", performing solos in their own styles. At the end of the episode, the judges will decide who will be sent home.
Terry Finch - Terry Finch is a dance teacher and choreographer in Central PA with an extensive training and teaching background in many forms of ...
