So You Think You Can Dance: Season 5 (1 Viewer)

[Hanson]

The actual name Twitchington may have been coined on the net, but Twitch promoted the hell out of it on the show. None of the other couples used their portmanteau nicknames (Katua and Marksie stayed on the boards). The 4 Real was co-opted by Twitch (I don't even know what it was originally for, but the 4 in Twitch's version referred to Will, Twitch, Josh, and Comfort), while the hand gesture on the shoulder was his invention. I totally blame Twitch for both.

 

[Josh Dial]

Originally Posted by Hanson Yoo

The 4 Real was co-opted by Twitch (I don't even know what it was originally for, but the 4 in Twitch's version referred to Will, Twitch, Josh, and Comfort), while the hand gesture on the shoulder was his invention. I totally blame Twitch for both.

I had seen the hand gesture a bunch of times before that season, in concert with the tv series. I've even seen an episode from before season 4 of SYTYCD aired, with random people in Brazil (I think it was Brazil) doing it. I know various posts in different internet forums say differently (that it's some inside joke), and it's possible that it was co-opted, since the 4Real thing seems to draw a lot of artsy types, but it definitely was on the 4Real show. Of course, I'm not sure it even aired in the US, so it's quite possible Twitch (or Comfort, or whomever) just ripped it off and nobody really noticed. Heck, I even saw the gesture on one of the awards show (I want to say the Oscars).

Either way it was stupid--that much we can both agree on

 

[Patrick Sun]

The judges didn't get a chance to let Randi go last week, and it's too bad because she should have gone home over Caitlin. Randi is bringing up the rear amongst the gals and should go home tomorrow.
I'm struggling with either Evan or Kupono going home tomorrow, but I think Evan's height is the deciding factor at this point of the competition. Evan's great on his own, but paired with anyone except Janette at this point really hampers the pairing, plus, he just doesn't have the ballroom styles figured out yet. Kupono drew the absolute worse dance for his all-too-fey dancing persona, but he can be a capable partner when paired with a more competent partner.

Dance number rankings:

1. Jason and Jeanine - stunning piece that captures your attention and maintains it throughout the experience. Tossing that heart necklace around could have gone badly, but they nailed the entire number.

2. Ade and Janette - Ade totally owned this number with his playful style counterbalanced with strong hip-hop dancing. Janette was competent, but not as hard hitting as better hip-hop dancers in this genre. I was shocked at how short Janette was, she lucked out paired with Brandon for all those weeks.

3. Brandon and Melissa - Not as crazy about the number as a whole as each dancer was more about doing their own thang, but the parts didn't mesh as a cohesive whole. Their height works against them a little bit.

4. Evan and Kayla - Evan did good aerial work, but his footwork as sorely lacking. Kayla did all she could to sell the dance, but Evan's ballroom skill level saddled them into an average pair for this dance style. Had they drawn a broadway number, Evan would have been better, and hopefully Kayla would have learned from her mistakes from last week.
5. Kupono and Randi - Randi moved so uncomfortably and unsure throughout the number, and Kupono didn't sell his role, either. It was the semi-trainwreck that can happen when partners switch and no chemistry develops. Nothing gelled in their dance, and it was a chore to watch.

 

[Brett_M]

My pick to go is Randi, as well. Her solo was nothing to write home about and her partner dance was easily the worst of the night. I wouldn't be surprised if it was Evan or Kupono, though. The biggest surprise for me was Jason. What a difference a partner makes! He an Janine had the best dance of the night. His solo was playful and energetic. He's showing some personality. Good stuff. Janette is one to watch -- she was great in the group number and her solo was sexy and fun. Love her.

Originally Posted by Patrick Sun

The judges didn't get a chance to let Randi go last week, and it's too bad because she should have gone home over Caitlin. Randi is bringing up the rear amongst the gals and should go home tomorrow.
I'm struggling with either Evan or Kupono going home tomorrow, but I think Evan's height is the deciding factor at this point of the competition. Evan's great on his own, but paired with anyone except Janette at this point really hampers the pairing, plus, he just doesn't have the ballroom styles figured out yet. Kupono drew the absolute worse dance for his all-too-fey dancing persona, but he can be a capable partner when paired with a more competent partner.

Dance number rankings:

1. Jason and Jeanine - stunning piece that captures your attention and maintains it throughout the experience. Tossing that heart necklace around could have gone badly, but they nailed the entire number.

2. Ade and Janette - Ade totally owned this number with his playful style counterbalanced with strong hip-hop dancing. Janette was competent, but not as hard hitting as better hip-hop dancers in this genre. I was shocked at how short Janette was, she lucked out paired with Brandon for all those weeks.

3. Brandon and Melissa - Not as crazy about the number as a whole as each dancer was more about doing their own thang, but the parts didn't mesh as a cohesive whole. Their height works against them a little bit.

4. Evan and Kayla - Evan did good aerial work, but his footwork as sorely lacking. Kayla did all she could to sell the dance, but Evan's ballroom skill level saddled them into an average pair for this dance style. Had they drawn a broadway number, Evan would have been better, and hopefully Kayla would have learned from her mistakes from last week.
5. Kupono and Randi - Randi moved so uncomfortably and unsure throughout the number, and Kupono didn't sell his role, either. It was the semi-trainwreck that can happen when partners switch and no chemistry develops. Nothing gelled in their dance, and it was a chore to watch.

 

[Spero D]

Janette's solo- Wow

 

[Josh Dial]

Emmy nominations are in and it's nice to see some of the best routines from last season up for outstanding choreography:

"Bleeding Love" (Mark and Chelsie) - Tabitha and Napoleon

"Mercy" (Katee and Twitch) - Mia Michaels

"Silence" (Jessica and Will) - Tyce Diorio

"A Los Amigos" (Chelsie and Joshua) - Dmitry Chaplin

 

[Hanson]

And yet no nod for best reality competition show?

Makes no sense.

Actually, I would replace any of those nominees with Hometown Glory (Josh/Katee by Mia). Especially "Mercy".

 

[Josh Dial]

Originally Posted by Hanson Yoo

And yet no nod for best reality competition show?

Makes no sense.

Agreed.

As far as the routines go, I would have liked to see "No Air" (Katee and Joshua) from Tabitha and Napoleon instead of "Mercy." Though having two routines from them might not have been in the cards. Of course "Mad Men" snagged 4/5 writing noms, which is just insane, so who knows?

 

[Citizen87645]

Jeanine has slowly become my new favorite. In the audition phase Kayla had my attention, in the early competition Melissa, but Jeanine won me over when she had to dance for her life for the first time. She said it herself when she said it would be an opportunity for viewers to see what she can really do, and she was not wrong.

And what exactly was Cat giving Ade a hard time about in his solo? Just the flip he did?

 

[Hardy23]

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[Patrick Sun]

Janette and Evan - Jazz, Rumba - Their Jazz routine was okay, and their Rumba was a little too slow and not as smouldering as I like, but Evan is still out of his element, and never seems believable in any dance style outside of his own. Janette did well, but had a better rumba number.
Jeanine and Brandon - Waltz, Pop Jazz - Didn't think their waltz was as bad as the judges thought, but it did feel a little heavy and slow. Their second number was much more entertaining and energetic, but Jeanine was a little off in spots, while Brandon just breezed through it.

Melissa and Ade - Cha Cha, Contemporary - Didn't like their Cha Cha because none of it felt right because neither got some of the basic steps of the dance right, so it just looked off throughout most of the routine. Their contemporary number was flat-out one of the best expression of emotions-through-dance that has ever graced the SYTYCD stage, and it moved me to tears. I just wasn't expecting that quality of movement and grace in a dance on this show, but it just set the bar truly high for others in future seasons.

Kayla and Jason - Broadway, Hip hop - Overall, I think they had the best night as a pairing with consistently entertaining dance routines and nailing both of them. Other pairings were either good/great, or good/good, but they were great in each, while showcasing both dancers' strengths within each number.

Sadly, a guy and a girl is going home, I think it'll be Jason or Evan going home, and either Jeanine or Janette on the girls side, but it would be terrible if Melissa got sent home after her last dance with Ade. I'd be floored if Kayla or Brendan left tomorrow night.

I found myself agreeing with most of Mia's sentiments, she really was the surprise on the judges panel for me because she's usually far too snarky to enjoy her comments, though Ellen did deliver some good comedy bits throughout.

 

[Brett_M]

Janette and Evan - Jazz, Rumba - Janette danced well. Evan didn't. He's great in his style -- I really liked his solo. I give Janette a lot of credit for not doing the salsa in her solo. She combined several different styles and it worked for me. I really like her.
Jeanine and Brandon - Waltz, Pop Jazz - I liked both of their routines. Brandon out-danced Jeanine in the Pop Jazz number but I think he can't out dance everybody anyway. I wish her solo was a bit more dynamic. She looked fatigued this week. Not her usual self.

Melissa and Ade - Cha Cha, Contemporary - Their contemporary moved me in a way I never expected. It was one of the most beautiful performances I have ever seen. Truly awesome. Their cha cha was fun but they were out of their comfort zone and it showed.

Kayla and Jason - Broadway, Hip hop - Great pairing. Jason is peaking at the right time but he still is not near Brandon or Ade. Kayla can do anything. Their hip hop number was very cool -- great choreography, great execution.

Bottom three guys:
Evan
Jason
Ade

Bottom three girls:
Jeanine
Janette
Melissa

Evan and Jeanine go home, I think.

Ellen Degeneres was funny but useless as a judge. They should avoid that in the future.

 

[Hanson]

I hate to sound like the Grinch, but that Cancer Dance seemed really exploitative to me, and while it was one of Tyce's better choreo jobs, I don't think it's as good as everyone thought it was without the prism of "this is about cancer". It's like Mia's Dead Daddy Dance -- how much of it was the choreography/dancing and how much was it about losing a loved one? I cringe whenever the theme of a dance is about tragedy, because it the reaction usually goes overboard in relation to the execution. That said, it was still the best dance of the night, but only because the rest of the evening sucked.

The only other good performance was Brandon and Jeanine's pop/jazz dance, but there were too many times where Jeanine lagged behind and threw off the synchro.

The rest were either flat out bad (Melissa and Ade's cha cha was suckage) or boring (Brandon and Jeanine's Waltz was slow as molasses) or blandly performed (Kayla and Jason's hip hop was soft and squishy and lacked any hip hop vibe). Speaking of Kayla and Jason, it was unfortunate that the two least charismatic performers got paired together -- it was like watching two Terminators dancing. And Kayla's solo was gratingly monotone (not that Jeanine's was that much better).

Janette outdanced Evan in both their numbers. Janette and Brandon are really the new Josh and Katee -- they were both incredible together, but with different partners, they seem mismatched because no one else can keep up with them. Let's get these kids back together, because I can't stand watching their new partners lagging behind. They are clearly the best male and female dancers.

Oh and SABs

 

[Patrick Sun]

You're like that Kris-kovered Kanye song: Heartless!

 

[Hanson]

Patrick, I realized yesterday that your avatars are pencil sketches that (presumably) you've drawn. I had thought they were pictures of tatoos for some reason.

Compared to the average person, I am pretty heartless, although I take that to mean that I am not positively affected by cloying sentimentality. It makes me nauseous.

 

[Patrick Sun]

Yes on the avatars (I may try to do a weekly or bi-weekly sketch for my avatars, just for fun, hope people like them).

Kanye nauseates me. But I digress...

 

[Patrick Sun]

Melissa definitely got a vote bump this week, and for that, Janette had to go home. But I still didn't want to lose any of the gals, but would have settled to lose Evan and Jason this week.
Brendan just has this faint air of arrogance/confidence in his body language that keeps him from being embraced by the voting public, while Evan's been playing that humble pie card all throughout the show, even though he is technically not the better dancer than any of the final 4 guys, but it's a popularity contest, so you get what you get.

 

[Citizen87645]

Yes, sad to see Janette go.

While I wasn't totally surprised that the Katie Holmes performance was a pre-recorded, lip synced, series of poses while dudes danced around her deal, I'm surprised they actually made such a big deal about it.

 

[Spero D]

Totally agree with your post. Thought Janette was going to take it out this year.

Katie Holmes pre-recorded, lip synced hype. About half way through I fast forwarded.

Originally Posted by Cameron Yee

Yes, sad to see Janette go.

While I wasn't totally surprised that the Katie Holmes performance was a pre-recorded, lip synced, series of poses while dudes danced around her deal, I'm surprised they actually made such a big deal about it.

 

[Hanson]

Kayla is this season's partner killer. That's three down on her watch. She appears to have enough of a fanbase to squeak through, but her dances aren't connecting with the audience which is why two out of three partners have been voted out by Ameriker. Shit, if she hadn't been partnered with Fan Fave Evan two weeks ago and was paired with, say, Ade, she would have been three for three. And she's getting good choreo -- she's probably gotten the best choreo overall. I am hoping she gets paired with Ade next week and we will not have to see her pasty android face in the finals. Kayla looks like a transluscent Whippet. Please leave!

I remember watching the Bench Dance when it originally aired, and while I liked it, I was puzzled at some of the accolades it received including the Emmy. Watching it again, there's really not much to it, just a lot of soulful looks and a bench and a flower. I'm not a Mia hater and I at least like almost all her stuff, but if I had a top ten Mia routines list, the Bench Dance would be far down on that list. Just off the top of my head, Hometown Glory, Higher Ground, Mark & Chelsie's week one piece, and last season's group number with Mark as the Ringleader. I'm sure there are three or four others.

Yeah, that Katie Holmes thing was overpimped by Nigel. Had he not raised expectations so high, there wouldn't be such a backlash. Nigel is currently scolding people on his Twitter because so many people have tweeted about how much it sucked. And I know she's going to lip-synch while dancing, but jeez lousie -- her lip-synching was freakin' awful. I had made the joke that her lip-synching was worse than Milli Vanilli, but actually, they were good enough to get away with it for a while, and were only discovered when their backing track malfunctioned. Katie Holmes lip-synching was like watching a dubbed Kung Fu movie.

BTW, the Ramalama routine was originally choreographed for 9 dancers because Natalie was hurt and couldn't participate. Ryan Rankine apparently couldn't or didn't want to come back, so Wade took his place.

It was odd that they mentioned the contestants who came back to choreograph and neglected to mention that Dmitry from season 2 was nominated this year for an Emmy.