Blended Together
The first performance show opened as it has in the past - with each dancer getting about 10 seconds to dance in their "style." As there are a lot of contemporary dancers this season, much of it blended together into a hodgepodge of spins and high kicks. No worries on being able to figure our who’s who though as each of the dancers will get their own introduction before their performance, and if they manage to survive long enough, it'll be easier to pick them out from the crowd after a while. (
Meet the Top 20 here.)
"The Experts"
Host, Cat Deeley, as delightfully upbeat as ever, introduced the panel of judges as the "experts" to help the voting audience sort through all the dancers and performances. The two mainstays are Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy. This week's guest judge is Dan Karaty. We're glad to see that Nigel has cut his hair since the audition rounds because the long, feathered mop he was sporting back then wasn’t working. Only Farrah Fawcett could carry off that look, which is why only Farrah Fawcett should wear it - back in the 1970's.
Flirty Banter
Cat polled the judges about what to expect from the Top 20 and whether there were any front runners. Dan noted that in the previous three seasons, there were some early favorites but that this year, it was "up for grabs." Mary echoed Dan's sentiments and noted that the field was highly competitive this season and that the "top 100 was tough [to cut down]." Nigel said that there were no front runners and then told Cat, "for me, tonight, the early front runner is you." He then complimented her "dancer's legs" (which was nicely showcased in a metallic silver mini-dress) to which Cat jokingly replied, "If only I had a dancer's control over them."
Rules Refresher
For those who are newbies to the show, here's how it works. The top 20 (ten guys and ten girls) are partnered up and then they'll be randomly assigned a dance routine running the gamut from ballroom classics like the waltz to a disco dance. After the performances, America gets to vote and the three couples with the lowest votes will have to dance a solo on results night (Thursdays). After the 3 guys and 3 girls with the lowest votes dance their solos, the judges will then decide to eliminate one guy and one girl from the competition. The judges will do the elimination from the "bottom 6" until the top 20 is pared down to the top 10. After that, it's strictly "America's choice" and the voting will no longer be on a couples basis, but for each individual dancer. The dancer getting the lowest vote total will be eliminated until a winner is crowned.
Cotton Candy Hip Hop
Rayven, a ballerina was paired with ballroom dancer, Jamie. They are assigned a hip hop routine, choreographed by married couple, Napoleon and Tabitha. Dancing to "American Boy" by Estelle featuring Kanye West, their routine was cute and fun to our non-expert eyes. Nigel thought it was "not bad" but he wasn't sure it was "memorable." Mary thought it was "cotton candy hip hop" but she likes cotton candy. She called Rayven a "beautiful, strong dancing machine" and overall "loved" the performance. Dan said he liked cotton candy "in moderation" but found the routine lacked "funk" and that it was "not bad, but not great."
