SYTYCD: Week 8

:O!!!!!!   Next week is the finals????  What are you talking about, Willis?! I always knew I hated this show. :( I keep wishing that we'll witness a little "loaves-and-fishes" miracle & never see the numbers diminishing in spite of sending dancers home every week, therefore continuing the show ad infinitum. *sigh* A gal can dream.

I have to say, out of the whole 2 hours, my favorite part of the show was the commercial for Huggies' new Slip-On diapers - did anyone else even catch a glimpse as they DVR-ed their way past the break? Well, since missing it is just not acceptable, please go watch it now. And if you too went cross-eyed from laughing, feel free to get further acquainted with The Rolling Pin, The Acrobutt, The Wind-Up Toy, The Booty Scoocher, and The Pogo Stick. (And no, Mr. Huggie, this isn't free advertising; you may wire payment to my account by no later than 10 minutes ago, or I'm pressing charges for violation of the contract I pretended we made. And my hubby's a lawyer, so check it.)

*ahem* I can't help feeling I've strayed slightly from my original motivation. Which is, of course, DANCE! And now, after some unsuccessful Googling for a cheap copycat of Ms. Deeley's dress, I've given up & am ready for some groovin'. Groove for me, puppets!

Melanie & Twitch, hip-hop: Melanie, I just don't get you. I cannot wrap my mind around the dancing enigma that is you! I mean, seriously? SERIOUSLY?? Seriously. That dance, first off, was a whole cut above the norm for NappyTab, I give them such major props for that awesome vision & construction. And then they hand it over to subtle, emotive, graceful & lovely Melanie... and watch her take over as the fearsome queen of hard-hitting hood rock. If she hasn't previously considered it, I would advise Melanie to take up a dance career in hip-hop, street name "Dirty 'Lil White Girl." LOL  Sick! Dirty! BUCK!

Sasha & Kent, contemporary: Kent, it's Kent! My sweetie-pie! Admittedly, not such a sweetie-pie for the purposes of this piece; not nice at all! Now, I've quite a bit to say here so settle in. *ahem* Sasha's never been, like, my number one favorite. But I say this with all the feeling I can muster through a computer screen: I deeply appreciate the maturity with which she approaches the art of dance. She is above the need to point every toe and complete every turn; she is bigger than delivering picture-perfect leaps and precisely balanced pirouettes; she is beyond looking graceful and beautiful and lovely in every moment. Perhaps at some point earlier in her life, she did dance for those things, although I doubt it. The performances she gives us week after week spotlight not the movement of her arms or legs or body... but the movements & dance of her HEART; as if she feels so powerfully that she simply can't keep her body from moving in order to communicate it. She's not afraid to leave an arm unextended or to stumble from a landing, because the honest emotion of the dance would demand a physical representation of that weakness and struggle. It's a principle that countless young dancers on this show fail to realize, and likely fail to go on to great status & success in the larger dance world. Now, back to tonight. This dance showcased that extraordinary quality to perfection, and it left me completely wounded right along with Sasha, just for a moment. (Also, that was brilliance incarnate from Tyce & an entirely new level from Kent, and I love them both all over again.) It's too bad the Emmy noms have already been handed out.

Marko & Jeanette, paso doble: I think my main problem with the dance was the choreography, it seemed too much tradition & too little innovation. It didn't do anything more than any standard cookie-cutter exhibition piece at any random ballroom show around the country. Marko did a very respectable job for his part; but I hardly remember a single phrase of that piece, even just one minute after watching it. I think Dimitri let him down on this one.

Tadd & Elenore, jazz: Hmm... I suppose there was a lot in there to love, but it was sortof smothered by all the... LOVE... to put it gently. Which that didn't; not that anyone lists "putting it gently" as one of Sonya's strengths. lol The chandelier was exceedingly cool & Tadd worked it masterfully; without it I might've barely liked that piece at all. With it, I was reasonably entertained. I suppose I end that number on a semi-positive, semi-neutral note.

Ricky & Jaime, contemporary: It's always so refreshing to see these all-stars that I loved so much during their seasons, come back years later & be even better than I remember. Good to see you Jaime! As for Ricky... Does everyone remember my giant schpeil about Sasha's dance maturity? Does everyone understand the general concept of "polar opposites"? 'Nuff said right there. Ricky may leap & bound all over that stage, and hit some gorgeous lines - but at no point does anything coming from his GUT, from his SOUL, enter that lovely little picture. So while it's impressive to watch, I've forgotten it practically the moment it's over. It hasn't connected with me, hasn't moved or affected me - and that's just NOT dance.

Caitlyn & Pasha, samba: Is it weird that my main comment about this dance is a gripe with the patch of red sequins on her hip that kept peeking out & how it totally clashed with the hot pink? Yes, that's what I'm zoned on for the most part. But, that's also basically all I have to complain about, so I guess it's alright. And I adore Christina Applegate right now, because she just summed up everything I've tried to verbalize about Caitlyn's body with one word: "Whatever." Just, whatever. I hate her. :)

* Buh-bye all-stars, let's leave the kiddos to their own devices now! **

Sasha & Ricky, whacking: *shaking head* Dear Producers, just because someone auditions with some weird dancing that they call a style... it doesn't mean it's actually a worthwhile dance style to acknowledge on your live national television show. :)  Yeah, I'm not a whacking fan. I'm even the opposite of a fan, whatever that might be. An anti-fan? I kinda wanna take a baseball bat to the knees of whacking. (Hmm, that was a bit dark... can't really bring myself to take it back, though.) As far as the dancers - was Ricky even up there? I watched it twice and still never noticed him. Good job Sasha. Whack, you are now uninvited from this party. Don't let the door hit you on the way out - nope, changed my mind, definitely DO let it hit you.

Melanie & Tadd, contemporary: Holy cheez-whiz, they sold that story! I mean, I didn't want it to end 'cause I wanted to see the continuation of their tale & what happened with the woman scorned! Is she gonna fire back at him & bash the mirror over his head?! Would she get duped into loving him again, only to let him completely shatter her?? And oh yeah, the dancing was orbital.... Anyone? Yes, squirrely redhead in the back, that is right = out of this world. :) Which leaves me wondering, has Melanie considered a career in Broadway?! She's got a lot of careers to cover; better get started just as soon as she's finished doing all her laundry once she gets back home - after winning, of course.

Caitlyn & Marko, jazz: *Not making this up - I just had to pause the show to catch my breath, after losing it instantly with the first notes of this song. I have a visceral obsession for Florence + The Machine, it affects me to the bone.* Okay, okay, okay. I've honestly lost my train of thought - I'd say I should watch that again on "mute" so I can concentrate, but I don't think the song was the only thing bewitching me. That dance was equal parts beautiful and haunting, and Marko & Caitlyn were both so raw and primal in their motivations. Caitlyn's struggle was so painful & hopeless to watch against the absolute FORCE of Marko, and yet I was willing her to keep pushing & break past him. That was a strong, hugely affecting number right there - I was so sure Caitlyn would be the one leaving tomorrow & now I can't bear the thought of it!!

Overall thoughts: Someone should've been given the job of preparing a little "Intro to the Competitors" booklet for Christina. She didn't seem to know who anyone was tonight. Bad forward-planning on someone's part. Also, bad joke on my part. Let's just get to the results...


Going home will be....  Ricky; and Caitlyn or Sasha! (no, Melanie's not even in the realm of possibility) One will make me sunshine-happy, the other will leave me crying and tormented over what other way I would've liked it. No good answer on the girls. Go ahead Cat, just go ahead and break my heart.