So You Think You Can Recap (Performances v.3)

It's that time again kids, where most of you prolly click 'Mark as Read' on your RSS feeds and skip on down to the next new post- but I'm ok with that! Cause I do this for me, and for Vasta. And.... well that's about it I suppose. lol
But since I don't have anyone sitting here on the couch with me ready to be entertained by my snark, wit, and insight, I thrust it upon thee, oh hapless reader. But only because it seems that Ayana will not be calling me back tonight. (haha)

Last week it was the dancers who needed a lesson in 'tally light' usage, but this week Cat Deely is refusing to pay any mind to camera 2. That's ok though, I think that perhaps she's more tolerable in profile. Intro's are always a good time because we get to see the dancers' "personality" through their brief solos and how they've chosen to adorn themselves... and Kourtni has chosen the oddest looking knee high lime green stirrup-leg warmers I've ever seen. Those are not one but two trends that never should've made it out of the eighties. Will's looking a little more street tonight, Kherington's accessorizing with a fedora, and Comfort's doing her best Ciara impression (it's totally working). Gev just reminded me that he's a B-boy, and Katee has discovered American Apparel. Jessica has taken on the duty of wearing animal prints this episode (Mary must be so sad), I can't even comment on Thayne's very Panic! at the Disco getup because of that never-fading toothy grin (Crest endorsement?), Courtney is cosigning on the vest trend, as are Twitch and Chelsie (yet still, I have no urge to run out and buy one). Joshua just looks like a smooth regular guy (which I appreciate), Chelsea's got a little much gold going on and mixes a little booty dance into her solo, just before Mark jumps on Jessica's zebra print bandwagon. Barbarella Cat Deely appears to be wearing a shortened version of my mom's 1970's wedding dress. While I'll leave the male judges alone, Mary is rocking one of Leslie Hall's Gem Sweaters. That woman has become a screaming banshee of a bobblehead. Yikes. Shall we then? Yes, lets.

Kherington & Twitch : Hip Hop
Kherington says that Twitch laughs like a bear, but I think it's cute. I like a deep voice. (mwah) And Kherington has a shoe problem- don't all girls? But we don't call it a problem, we call it 'having options'. Twitch gets to do hip hop! YAY! Oh how I hope Kherington doesn't fall into the same trap all the other females have, turning hip hop into a cheer leading routine.
(song: Don't Touch Me (Throw Da Water On Em) - Busta Rhymes ) The choreography is slow to start, but they're lookin' pretty nice. Kherington's holding hre own and keeping the movement sharp. And though she's cracking a smile now and then, she's also definitely getting some hard looks in too, enough to make me believe she's actually getting into it; a welcome change. One weird thing about the song, there is NO BASS coming through the mix, which is odd.
Agree with judges? I guess- though I'm not quite as enthusiastic as they are. And OH aren't you judges so cute with your "here's the good stuff, now the negative... OH WAIT THERE IS NONE! HAR HAR HAR!" Nigel, you cad. And OH WITH THE SCREAMING. Where is Mia? There is no one to ground this panel. Yipes.

Courtney & Gev: Rhumba
Courtney looks a lot like Rachel Bilson, which can only stand to help her along. Her background in studying special education also speaks to her character- which I think really endears her to audiences. Gev seems real driven to learn these new dances, and surely having to grab her butt as part of the choreography doesn't hurt!
(song: Wishing On A Star - Rose Royce) Such a 70's vibe going on tonight! Courtney's costume is lovely and very ballroom. Good thing prom is over, or there would be a lot of girls getting sent home for too-revealing copy cat dresses. ah well- there's always homecoming next fall. These two look very good together, and I think the audience is sort of stunned into silence until nearly the end (not even a peep for the lift). The whole routine was done very smooth and sexy. But also classy. They're so in.
Agree with judges? Yes. They were connected and virtually flawless. Nigel's having a bit of wardrobe envy over Courtney's dress... jealoussssss. lol

Comfort & Chris: Jazz
Oh how the sneak peek of their costumes has me fearing some sort of Mad Max Beyond Dancehall travesty... Chris has this weird 'clean slate' personality thing to him. I have a hard time figuring him out. I'm not surprised that Chris doesn't really remember doing his solo, cause he looked pretty lost at the time. And this week we're dancing with sheets? I'm a bit worried.
(song: Beautiful People - Marilyn Manson) Oooh.... interesting song choice. I dig the entrance, so I hope they keep me this interested the whole way through. SOMEONE didn't do a lighting test for this number, cause even with the strobes they shouldn't be so washed out. DISTRACTING. (Mine is likely the only blog making so many lighting complaints... YOU'RE WELCOME.) Comfort doesn't seem totally committed to it; one second she's brilliant, and the next she's hesitating. They're out of sync with the sheet toss, which is too obvious. The audience seems... confused.
Agree with judges? The choreography seems partially to blame, but I agree that they weren't putting quite enough power behind it. I also agree with Mary that after the entrance it really slowed down. Bummer.

Jessica & Will: Disco
Awwww.. Jessica's nickname is Ariel, like The Little Mermaid... she does seem quite right for Disney. And is anyone surprised to hear that Will is a gentleman? He's completely got that air about him, and we need more men like that if you ask me. I'm glad to hear Will defend his partner and the work she put in, despite that she was, in fact, lacking. She's a little too bubblegum and needs to focus. Maybe she plays so much because she's nervous? Hopefully she'll pull it off this week.
(song: Heaven Must Have Sent You - Bonnie Pointer) Tonight's audio mixer is really pissing me off. This song is totally muffled. This should look more fun for Jessica, as bouncy and bubbly as she is, but chunks of it look a little too much like work. She isn't really sticking anything. 'Ol girl's in trouble.
Agree with judges? No. The performance was labored, mistakes were glaring (to me), and I don't think they carried it off. I don't think Jessica improved at all, but rather dragged Will down a bit. I'm not sure why they're talking the routine up so much, as it's not Will that would be in trouble going into the bottom 3.

Kourtni & Matt: Contemporary
I like Kourtni's tattoo, partially because it is so personal- but that lip stud is still annoying the crap out of me. And Matt's mom was the only one to catch his slip? I wonder how stage-momish she is... that must be where the constant plasti-smile comes from.
(song: Wrestlers (Sticky, Dirty Pop Mix) - Hot Chip) Matt's playing a character! Yay! This is really cute so far, and they're doing a great job of keeping the energy way up. They're dancing together so well, and the leaps were perfectly in sync. In fact all the mirrored choreography was. They partner well together. Also, I think I had Kourtni's yellow shirt in the 5th grade; i loved it then AND NOW. lol
Agree with judges? I agree with Nigel that this was a more quirky contemporary piece, and I think audiences will respond to it as being a very fun and high energy piece. I also agree with Alan when he says that they have great control over their bodies, which is great since they're so darn tall.

Chelsea & Thayne: Quick Step
Thayne makes his own fashions and Chelsea's a flower snatcher. My my. I really don't like hearing her complain about dancing in heels. Nobody likes excuses, and you're stepping back into those heels this week darlin'. Thayne really can't stop hamming it up for the camera can he?
(song: You Can't Hurry Love - Phil Collins ) I know I'm easily distracted, but who put Chelsea in gold shoes with a silver dress? Man do they ever look stiff- but I guess they're supposed to? I can't tell who's leading. This isn't gonna go over well with the audience, but it's because it's honestly boring. And if the quick step is all about footwork, why oh why are Chelsea's legs so obscured by that voluminous skirt?
Agree with judges? Yes- there was a total lack of personality (however, Thayne ALWAYS has that frozen smile look). Nigel's right that they should get their solos ready. It's not gonna play well with the voters. I hate to see them in the bottom 3 again, but I'm ready to see Thayne go.

Chelsie & Mark: Hip Hop
Oh these two... I'm so on the fence. I can see Chelsie as a tomboy because she seems SO young- she's a great dancer though. Her personality doesn't quite match her skill level. Funky. These two seem to be motivated by the story of the piece, which is good because almost everyone in the show seems to have trouble staying in character.
(song: Bleeding Love - Leona Lewis) I hate this song. And I really wish they'd use less recognizable songs- but I digress. While it comes off a little contemporary/hip hop mix, there's enough traditional movement going on to keep it afloat. I really feel like they're pulling it off too. The music helps with so many beats for them to really stick. I'm kind of amazed right now- my only complaint is that her costume makes her look twelve- and more like his the male character's daughter than his girlfriend/wife.
Agree with judges? Yes- I really like Mark this week too. The choreography was great but they had ample opportunity to screw it up and didn't. That's something right there. They stayed in character and that was a victory in and of itself. Loved it.

Katee & Joshua: Samba
I have such a crush on Joshua, so I'm glad to see them going last- they've been a great couple so far, despite my distaste for Katee. Oh man, he looks scared. Katee's gonna have to get in touch with her feminine side for this one, and as silly as she's being in rehearsal I hope she doesn't bring it on stage!
(song: Baila, Baila - Angela Via) HOLY CRAP look at that boy go- a hip hopper doing the samba, and showing a lot of grace. I suppose I sort of expect female dancers to pull of sexy easily, but since that's so apparently out of her comfort zone, she's pulling it off nicely. They're both going for it and thank goodness- this dance would not work out at all being done halfway. They kept the pace and stayed in character... I'm gonna go watch that again without typing. Joshua totally stole that show. Katee missed a leg extension but did anybody care? NO. Joshua's got some serious technique skills that are being slooooowly revealed.
Agree with judges? Yes- I didn't even think of it but Nigel was right that Katee wasn't 'overly sexy'. I also love how they're embarrassing both Joshua AND his dad about their 'buns'. They're so safe. This performance may turn me around on Katee.

I'm glad the judges aren't calling out any dancers as being the ones to go home, though I'm not sure how much it really influences the voting. I'm predicting Comfort & Chris, Jessica & Will, and Chelsea & Thayne as the bottom 3. At least that's how I'd like to see it. I also can't help but speculate on the way lighting and camera work influences the way we interpret the success of the performances. I mean, Comfort & Chris were definitely lacking- but the flat camera angles and harsh lighting did NOT help. Some faster switching between cameras would've made it seem to move faster as well, but man oh man did they linger in wide shots.

Favorite Couple of the night: Chelsie & Mark. Finally a hip hop routine where both partners are on the same level, dancing together, and neither is dragging. This was a tough call with my boy Joshua kicking so much samba ass, but the emotion that Chelsie & Mark brought was on point.
Favorite Song of the night: Baila, Baila - Angela Via. It's got a bit of a hip hop beat to it, and now I wanna get to dance to it. Also, one of the few songs of the night that wasn't from the 70's. lol
Favorite Judge of the night: Nigel. He made a lot of good points, with minimal WHOOPing.

This really is turning out to be the men's season. I'm finding myself more and more impressed with the male dancers, but totally disenchanted with the females. It's a shame, as we may find ourselves losing some quality men as the elimination goes on, dragged down by their partners. But that does it for tonight, and tomorrow it's all about elimination solos, a performance from Jordin Sparks (and they way they've been photoshop-whittling her waist in press releases I'm looking forward to seeing her live), and a breakin' dance troupe called Quest? What, no Jabberwockees?