Jul 31 2008
Shorter Show
Now down to only 6 dancers, the show went down to an hour-long format as opposed to its usual 2 hours. The same rules applied, however, with dancers being randomly paired up and dancing two choreographed routines and one solo.
Return Engagement
Adam Shankman, who was the guest judge when the Top 16 performed, made a return to the judging panel this week.
Waltz of Their Lives
Courtney picked Mark as her partner this week and for their first dance, they got the Viennese Waltz, choreographed by Jason. Set to “The Time of My Life” by American Idol winner David Cook, their waltz was elegant, smooth and they looked like they were floating across the dance floor at times. Adam thought it was an “absolutely beautiful performance” and singled out Mark as having “the best rise-and-fall” of any male dancer he’s seen. Mary also singled Mark out for praise saying he was “coming alive” more week after week. She enjoyed the performance overall and thought that their lifts were “effortless.” Nigel said that the performance was “romantic” and that they “started the evening off well.”
Contemporary Reunion
Katee reunited with Joshua and for their first performance, they got a Contemporary number from Tyce. Dancing to “All By Myself” by Celine Dion, their dance was lovely, with great chemistry and a nice energy. Adam called them “two of the most exciting dancers to grace [this] stage” and he thought the performance was “awesome.” Mary said the performance was filled with “passion [and] strength.” She also predicted that “the two of you are headed [to the finale].” Nigel called Joshua “absolutely brilliant” and noted that he was happy that Joshua and Katee were dancing together again. He said they both “delivered brilliantly” on the performance.
Lost the Beat
Chelsie picked Twitch as her partner and they got a Mambo choreographed by Tony and Melanie. In rehearsals, Twitch was having trouble keeping the count on the mambo, and this proved to be problematic in his performance was well. Set to “Anora Me Toca A Mi” by Victor Manuelle, Chelsie had amazing hip action and footwork, but Twitch was stiff and seemed out of place at times. Adam said that Chelsie was “on fire” and “burning up the [dance] floor.” He noted that Twitch was “out of [his] element” and that while he was a “strong partner,” he needed to dance with “more aggression.” Mary gave Twitch “props” for being “mostly on time” noting how difficult the two-beat count of the mambo is, and that he managed to pull it off “respectably.” She said that Chelsie was “a firecracker” on the dance floor. Nigel said that overall he was “so pleased” with them and they “did well.” He did note that Twitch lost time at points and had to look to Chelsie to reorient himself.
Fighting Jazz
For their second routine, Mark and Courtney danced a Jazz number choreographed by Sonya. Set to Mirah’s “The Garden” their dance was edgy and raw, depicting a fight between two lovers. Adam said the dance “was so sick!” He noted that he loved both Courtney and Mark individually but together they had something special and he was impressed by “the power of [their] togetherness.” Mary said that was “the weirdest fight scene I’ve ever seen in my life” but that she “loved it.” Nigel called it “one of the highlights of the night.”
Magical Paso
Katee and Joshua got a Paso Doble from Jason for their second number. Set to “Filet” from the La Reve Original Soundtrack, their dance was crisp, sharp and passionate. Adam said that he “loves you guys” and noted that Joshua as doing “the impossible” by pulling off these dances with no training. He told Katee that she would be very proud of herself when she watched her performance back. Mary said that together they were “true magic” and then gave them one of her patented Mary Murphy screams. Nigel mostly praised the choreography, noting that Jason was an import from the Australian version of the show, but did say that Joshua was “going to steal the show.”
In Control
Twitch and Chelsie got a Napoleon/Tabitha Hip-Hop routine for their second performance. Set to “Control” by the Vitamin String Quartet, the dance was a playful take on battling conductors. It was a fun and engaging performance. Adam said it was “hot” and noted that the show needed to “find something [Chelsie] can’t do.” Mary said that most of Twitch’s routines have been “stellar [and] outstanding” and this was no exception. She praised Chelsie for being able to keep up with Twitch in his dance style. Nigel didn’t talk about the routine in particular, instead noting how the show had a strong entertainment value and people could enjoy it whether they were dance fans or not. He concluded by saying that any of the remaining six dancers could be in the final 4 next week and whoever didn’t make it shouldn’t feel bad because they were all deserving.
Notables
Once again, none of the solos were particularly memorable but two notable things did happen. The first was that Cat, ever lovable and fun, actually put on Twitch’s grill (metallic teeth “jewelry”) after his solo, getting her a standing ovation and a “hip-hop” salute from the judging panel. She’s such a great sport and we’ll go out on a limb and say she should have gotten an Emmy nomination for reality TV host. The second notable thing was that after Mark’s solo, the camera flashed to a fan holding a sign that said, “Mark You Make Me Bark” which gave us our “Huh?” moment of the night.
