But we'll get to that in a little bit. Tonight's guest judge was Toni Basil, who is apparently receiving an award for her Hip-Hop and locking. I guess she's got street cred. Ooookay. She babbled a bit, but it's coherent babble, so I'm good with it (it puts her way ahead of Lil C).
The show got off to a rough start with two disastrous routines, but things picked up from there. I still wasn't overwhelmed by most of the dances though.
Karla & Jonathan started off the night with a Dave Scott hip-hop routine this week, which was supposed to have a Bonnie and Clyde feel to it. I’m just gonna say it. Jonathan’s about as gangster as the Care Bears. The routine itself wasn’t particularly exciting, and their dancing was just dismal. It wasn’t hard-hitting, most of the time they were noticeably out of sync and throughout the whole routine they were smiling like it was picture day at school – manic and totally the wrong mood for the piece. The judges tore them a new one (Nigel said “instead of gangster, it felt more like a Sunday school picnic”), but they kind of deserved it. Bottom 3 for sure tomorrow.
Asuka & Vitolio pulled a Mandy Moore jazz routine that she deemed “Thrash Rocker Jazz”. Asuka served face again this week and had the right attitude for the piece, but Vitolio was barely noticeable (aside from his badly-tailored neon blue pants). Like the couple that proceeded them, they were routinely out of sync and definitely struggled in spots (they went into that lift slowly and with noticeable difficulty). Mandy Moore choreography plus Pat Benatar plus awesome costumes should have added up to fabulous. But it didn't. The judges sugarcoated it a bit, but they could still be in trouble tomorrow.
Melissa & Ade got a rumba with Tony Meredith. It wasn’t my favorite number, but it was a drastic improvement from the previous two routines. Melissa was practically naked – she was dressed in a tiny, sequined bra and loosely wrapped piece of fabric around the rest of her body. The judges kept saying how beautiful she looked, but I found it distracting. I thought it made her look anorexic skinny, which is a shame, because she’s a beautiful girl. The passion was definitely there (especially from Melissa) and the technique was pretty good too. It was a little rough around the edges – Ade was basically stomping around Melissa during the assisted spins – but it was fair overall. They got good reviews from the judges and will probably be fine til next week.
Jeanette & Brandon performed another Dave Scott hip-hop routine that was supposed to be a battle between a rock ‘n’ roll chick and a hip-hop guy. The costumes were fabulous – I want the jewel-encrusted fishnet tights Jeanette was sporting – and the routine was great fun to watch. They were sharp and in-sync with their movements, though not as hard-hitting as it could have been. Still, a great routine compared to what came before it. They’ll definitely survive until next week.
Kayla & Kupono pulled a Viennese Waltz Jean-Marc (who I think is a kook, but hilarious). My initial thought: Train. Wreck. I knew Kayla would at least fare alright, but I thought Kupono’s femininity and weak technique would drag her down. But they really proved me wrong. The routine was absolutely fluid and dreamlike. The chemistry was strong, the lines were wonderful throughout and the whole thing just oozed elegance. Kayla's performance was graceful and stunning – her extensions and lines are just insane to me. Ultimately, she overpowered Kupono, but both were more than fair. Nigel said it was good, but that people wouldn’t stand up and cheer for them. Mary proved him wrong and put them on the Hot Tamale Train (third week in a row for Kayla!) Well-deserved. Usually this style is the kiss of death for dancers on this show, but hopefully America appreciates just how amazing that routine was. Easily one of my favorites of the night.
Randi and Evan got a Mia Michaels contemporary routine that was all about Randi's butt. *Shakes head* Oh Mia Michaels. Only you could dream up something so ridiculously cheeky (no pun intended). The routine was hilarious and lots of fun to watch. As always, both had great technique (loved the half-handstand cartwheel moves they did) and totally believable chemistry. Great reviews from the judges (except Nigel kept making endless butt jokes ... ugh). They should be fine for next week (they seem to have a pretty solid fan base). Yay! On a side note, Randi was wearing a shirt that said "unitard girl". Love. It.
Caitlin and Jason got a Paso Doble this week. My first experience with this style was Neil & Sabra's routine towards the end of S3, so my expectations for this type of dance are quite lofty. The music ("O'Fortuna") and the opening lifts were dynamic, but the rest of the number fizzled for me. It needed to be powerful and a bit angry and sassy, but it really wasn't. Plus Jason kept pulling his face WAY too much (frightening). The judges lapped it up though, but I still think they'll fall in the Bottom 3.
Jeanine & Phillip closed the show with a Tyce DiOrio Broadway routine to "Moses (Supposes)" from "Singin' in the Rain". The routine centered around a love seat, which Phillip jumped over at one point (very impressive). They had some fun with it in the beginning, but the choreography (Phillips couch-jumping ability aside) fell flat after that, (it ended with a pillow fight and running around the stage.) Blah. I watched the original movie scene on Youtube to help erase the memory of Phillip & Jeanine's rendition. The judges’ reviews weren't great, but Phillip's got a strong following, so I suspect they'll survive another week.
Bottom 3 Predictions: Jonathan & Karla, probably Asuka and Vitolio and maybe Caitlin & Jason. It almost doesn't matter though. Jonathan and Karla are inevitably doomed (their routine was dismal) tomorrow.
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