Beijing Summer Olympics: Opening Ceremony Pictures

Count me as one of those who was skeptical about the Beijing Olympics. But that was before the Opening Ceremony. If you missed it on our U.S. broadcast (7:30-midnight on August 8), then hopefully you’ll get to catch it on youtube. I tried looking for a link, but they’ve all been taken down for copyright claims. So, I’ve put some photos I found of the ceremony below. But honestly, they do not do it justice.

I have never seen such a grand display of beauty, precision, and technology. There was so much profound symbolism in everything that was presented, whether linking to Confucian principles or to broader Chinese ideals. And then when you see how everything was orchestrated using individual people, all moving to one beat, all choreographed to every minute detail, and producing such intricate geometries of design and movement….. well, let’s just say China can count this as an immense success. It’ll truly go down in history as one of the greatest opening ceremonies, and I can’t imagine how Great Britain will follow up on this in 2012.

The Bird's Nest

A Profound Symbol of the Chinese State

The Inside Lip Had a Screen for Images!

The Precision

Almost Like a Painting

Look Closely, Those Are People Walking Around It!

Amazing Lighting of Torch

SYTYCD: Season 4 Winner …. JOSHUA ALLEN!!!

A sincere congratulations to Joshua Allen, winner of Season 4 and the new “America’s Favorite Dancer”!

I for one am very very surprised that Twitch did not win. But I believe that Joshua was the deserving winner between the two of them. I just think he showed more overall technique, more diversity in excellence, and more believability when it came to the serious, mature routines. If you think back to what he had to perform, including the Paso Doble, the Samba, and of course, the Bollywood — considering how terrifically he performed those routines, and how Twitch struggled with certain ballroom dances, I think Joshua was more deserving.  I respect those who feel that Twitch’s performance value should have carried the day, however.

A quick note though – I still think Katee deserved the overall win. She really did display an amazing range, musicality, and devotion to the details.  That Pas de Deux with Will really should go down in SYTYCD lore as one of the best routines ever, up there with the “park bench” routine with Travis and Heidi and that Ivan/Allison contemporary routine, both interestingly by Mia Michaels.  And that Wade Robson Mikado-like routine with Hok and Jamie.

Nevertheless, great end to a great season!

Some final notes about the final episode:

1. Mary Murphy is much skinnier than I expected her to be. I guess I’ve never really seen her full on, just behind that judge desk, and I’m ashamed to say that based on her face (and chins), I had expected her to be a little out of shape.  But her legs – wow!

2. Mary Murphy cannot really dance at an elite level any more.

3. Nigel Lythgoe truly stunk up the stage and kind of embarrassed himself, in my opinion.  I guess it’s his show, but he kinda “jumped the shark” a little bit there for me.

4. I hope we never have to see Adam Shankin on that stage.  That man just loves being on camera and will shamelessly take any opportunity to ham it up.

5. I am, however, intrigued at the idea of seeing Mia Michaels dance.

6. Philip Chbeeb really kicked that weirdo Robert’s ass. I don’t know what was going on there with the judges, but maybe it’s because Philip will try to audition again and they didn’t want to do anything to bias the fans of his?  I don’t know, but it really wasn’t all that close in my eyes.

7. Very interesting to see the past contestants.  But is it me, or did Jesus’ “Lovecatcher” look like Xanadu 2008?

8. I liked Blake’s dancing on the show, but man, he became show-bizzy very very quickly. Loves to drop names and show up dancers on his Canadian SYTYCD, apparently.

9. I realized as I was watching Chelsie dance that I really wish she had been in the Top 4 instead of Courtney.  Courtney is great and all, but I think Chelsie would have killed that Jive with Joshua.

10. Thanks for reading! I’ll be continuing with more random SYTYCD posts, American Idol when it starts up, and of course, Mad Men.  And finally, Lost when it starts up in 2009.

SYTYCD Top 4: My Review of the Performance Finale

Performance Finale Time!

It’s that time again – Wednesday night, we had our Top 4 finalists on So You Think You Can Dance: Joshua, Katee, Twitch, and Courtney. The finale of performances, the last of Mary Murphy. Some definite ups and downs, so let’s get right to it.

First off, it needs to be said: The judges were shamelessly inconsistent in pimping Twitch for the win. There was a clear agenda right away, and it went from the first performance to the last. Look over the tape when it comes out on youtube and listen to those judges’ comments. They not only spent way more time reviewing Twitch’s routines, but they had nothing but extreme accolades for him, even though that foxtrot with Katee was the most butchered foxtrot I’ve seen in a long time. We’ll get into the specifics as we break down each routine one at a time.

1. Courtney & Twitch: Hip Hop

The show began with a nice number from Napoleon and Tabitha. I was surprised to enjoy this routine, not just from Twitch, but also from Courtney – she definitely pulled this off. The choreography was also very well done, with a lot of fun details: the sequence of fake punches that ended with an uppercut to Twitch’s nether regions was acted out well, and Courtney’s little run over Twitch’s thigh and chest was unexpected. Courtney also did a little thing with her shoulders bobbing Twitch’s head up and down. However, it wasn’t without flaws: they had a little trouble staying in synch during some paired moves, and that lift at the end – whoa. I don’t think it was meant to look that awkward in the beginning and that loose at the end, where Courtney almost slipped off his head and onto his shoulders. In fact, she looked just as surprised as we did when it happened.

So a good routine, not flawless, nothing extraordinary to me…. but the judges went W I L D. Mandy Moore went mall chick over it “You guys that was awesome!” and the others were unequivocal in how great it was. Mary was predictably over the top with her scream and constant yelling, and even Nigel was gaga (they had a little Simon-Paula moment as well, which was somewhat nauseating). They had absolutely no critiques at all, which surprised me. This to me was the beginning of the “Let’s get Twitch to win” quest by the judges. Only time will tell if the voters fell for it.

2. Joshua & Katee: Wade Robson

I should be honest from the start: I have a total man crush on Wade Robson. No need for my wife to feel threatened or anything, but still, how cool is that guy? As for the routine, this to me was clearly the best routine of the night, both in terms of choreography and in terms of the actual dancing.

To start, Katee’s presence at the very beginning was breathtaking. As the judges said, the honesty and emotion in that moment were plain to see. Then that side to side motion and arm raising action at the beginning – there really has not been a couple more in tune and in step with each other than these two. The routine only got better from then on, with some shockingly quick, controlled, and expressive pirouettes by both. The ability to spin twice so fast then to stop and be able to collapse into exact movements – both Joshua and Katee showed to all that they are the two best dancers left in the show.

The judges’ comments were on point, though not nearly as enthusiastic as they were for Twitch and Courtney. But they quickly latched on to both dancers’ excellence in their emotions and movements. It was very interesting to see Joshua’s and Katee’s emotions at the end – they were clearly very sad that this was the last time they were dancing as a couple.

3. Courtney & Katee: Broadway

This was the weakest performance for me tonight, in terms of the overall choreography. It may have worked better in a Top 10 or Top 14 show, but for the finale, I felt it was a little weak and Tyce let both girls down. They danced it well, Katee certainly a little better than Courtney as Nigel astutely pointed out, but they had very little to work with. The music was limp, the movements were simplistic, and it just didn’t work for this stage. It felt like a real broadway number, which I can appreciate. But it was a deflating moment for both dancers this night. Mandy couldn’t even fake her enthusiasm in her comments.

4. Joshua & Twitch: Russian?

From weak to … odd. I sort of enjoyed this routine in the end – there was a lot of athleticism and leaping displayed here, but I couldn’t help wondering why they hadn’t picked a Dave Scott choreographed hip hop routine for this pair. It just seems like a no-brainer for me, especially for the ratings-laden performance finale.

That said, I thought the routine was … alright. Yes there was a lot of jumping and somesuch, but the music (Tchaikovsky Nutcracker??) was not at all inspiring, and the routine became almost a farce towrads the end. However, I think it was clear that Joshua showed himself to be the better dancer, both in his athleticism and in his overall presentation (I still cannot take Twitch seriously when he tries to make “serious” faces). Nevertheless, the judges did all they could to make Twitch’s case for the voters, even going so far as to point out that Joshua got all the leaps in the air.

5. Twitch & Katee: Fox Trot

Oh man. Here, in my opinion, is where the show hit its low low low point. I’ll be quick. I think the routine was so dumbed down for Twitch that it became something other than a Fox Trot. There really was no foxtroting at all, and as comparison, here below is Danny and Anya doing the fox trot from a season ago. Take a look at that and then review last night’s performance.

It’s actually appalling that the judges said NOTHING about Twitch’s lack of fox trot grace. I think they were in fox trot mode for approximately 15 seconds total, maybe two runs if that. And those fox trot passes just were not graceful or dynamic at all. They had no form, the steps were off, everything just did not work at all. And yet, did the judges say anything about that? Nope. All of their comments were about Twitch’s performance value and they said nothing about his technique. Particularly galling given that, as I mention later, Nigel in particular is focused on telling contestants that on this show, mere effort is not enough – they have to be able to perform the steps. I think they fell incredibly short in this routine.

6. Joshua & Courtney: Jive

Well, Joshua was very tired at this point, having done the Russian dance, his solo, and then this Jive in the span of about 30 minutes. And it showed. His kicks were somewhat slow and short, and Courtney didn’t help either.

However, although Nigel justifiably pointed these flaws out, I was amazed that he did so after giving Twitch a pass on PRECISELY the same issues on the last dance… Nigel in fact said, “I could say you were entertaining and the audience had fun and you put your heart into it, but that would be unfair.” However, he said pretty much exactly that without touching Twitch’s technique, so what’s the deal?

Solos:

Courtney: She had a predictable solo, actually an area that she’s excelled at among the girls. However, I was struck at how much time the judges spent praising her growth and spirit. Nevertheless, she showed some sincere emotion both during her routine and afterwards.

Twitch: Twitch has always had great solos, but (as long time fans of the show surely recognized), tonight was the second time Twitch used music from Wade Robson that Ivan had used in Season 2 for his solos. The first time was a few weeks ago with “Question Mark” and tonight, he used “It Was All In Your Mind.” Now, look, I have absolutely no problem with him using the same music. But I guess my problem is that his movements resembled Ivan’s solos a little too much and in that same vein, he didn’t quite measure up.

What perhaps bothered me more though was how blatantly the judges propped up Twitch as winner of the show. Mary in particular seems to want him to win more than normal. Here’s what bugs me… thoughout the season, the judges were particularly harsh on certain dancers dancing out of their realm (say, waltz for a hip hop specialist) saying that being uncomfortable is not an excuse, that on SYTYCD, they have to step up… However, they never once used that line on Twitch. Instead, they praised his entertainment value and made excuses for his lack of technique. Simply inexcusable in my mind.

Katee: Her solo was actually better than I expected. She also used an old tune (Imogen Heap, previously used in a group routine last season), but paired it with great choreography. The judges seemed, however, to speed through her review and gave her practically no help with the voters in terms of highlighting her immense skills. Plus, I still don’t forgive them for how they treated her during the Top 20 selection show. Her answer was simply honest and emotional, and they used it for drama.

Joshua: I actually was very disappointed by his solo! He seems to have the exact same movements: the double-foot stance, the waving of his arms, the hip bounce, and other hand movements. Then he did the same thing next to the judges (hopefully this will not be a trend in future seasons).

Verdict: Who will WIN????????

I offer two answers. First: Who I think DESERVES to win:

1. Katee

2. Joshua

3. Twitch

4. Courtney

Second: Who I think WILL win after the votes:

1. Twitch

2. Joshua

3. Katee

4. Courtney

What do you guys think???? Am I being too harsh on the judges??

SYTYCD: My Top 5 Performances of Season 4 (and a review)

One day before the final performances of Season 4! It’s been a great season, with perhaps the most talented group of 20 dancers from top to bottom. Now’s as good a time as ever to take a tour though my 5 favorite performances this season – the youtube clips will be embedded into the post.

Before I start, what were my criteria? Because, I’m no egotistical fool. I know my top five will be different from your top five, and I am by no means saying these were the absolute best of the year. Instead, this list includes those performances, partnered or solo, that (a) made me want to watch it over and over again, (b) was technically terrific, and (c) had some emotional impact to it. I definitely had my favorite dancers this year (Joshua, Katee, Will), but I think the top five includes a bit of a mix too, maybe.

Now, I only picked five, maybe next year, I’ll try a Top 10 list split over two days, but there were some Honorable Mentions that I’ll list here (youtube clip in link):

Katee & Joshua: Bollywood – I was nervous about this one, I’ll be honest (as was Joshua, apparently). But it was one of the more dynamic performances of the season, and exciting for its novelty to SYTYCD.

Mark & Chelsie: Argentine Tango – Mark definitely knows how to disappear into a role, which is probably at least half the game for the male in a tango, and Chelsie is fabulous at any latin/ballroom style.

Twitch & Comfort: Hip Hip – Two hip hop dancers got their style, choreographed by Dave Scott (a better hard hip hop choreographer than Nappy Tabs, for example). A great combination.

Twitch Top 12 Solo: Maestro – The solos had been a little dry up to this point (lots of contemporary dancers), but Twitch put a jolt into it with his very musically choreographed solo.

In looking over the five I picked and the four above, I see that *spoilers* I didn’t pick any Chelsie “hot numbers”, where she is in a fast Latin dance. This kind of surprises me because I think she is amazing at those routines. But I never really needed to see them over and over after she had performed them, for some reason. Maybe because she got to do them several times this season? In any case, I go into this knowing that many may disagree with me on the ones below. Comment away!

Alright! Without further ado, my Top Five, with commentary:

5. Will’s Top 8 Solo

This solo was apparently one of the more polarizing performances, based on what I read on idolforums and other blogs. Of course, Will was promptly booted from the show the next day in what I still consider to be a bad decision (I would have put Twitch or Mark off at that point). The ironic thing is that I think all Will was doing was showing exactly the personality that judges had asked him to display. In fact, the judges LOVED the solo, giving him a standing ovation afterwards. However, perhaps it was too late for Will to overcome early perceptions of his “aloof” personality.

In any case, a great rendition of a James Brown dance. My favorite moment is the leap and slide up at 1:24 – I mean, the boy can DANCE. Plus, the slow smooth shuffle down the stairs at 1:10, it just doesn’t get more fun to watch than that. Some have said it was all twirls and jumps, but I think there’s also the great alignment with the music (the hip bumps at 1:16). I only wish it could have gone for another 10 seconds.

4. Mark & Chelsie Hip Hop

Tabitha and Napoleon have gotten a bit of a beating from hip hop aficionados in some of the forums I’ve been reading. I think part of the blame goes to Nigel for his christening of “lyrical hip hop” as the future of hip hop. Nigel certainly loves Nappy Tabs, and I enjoy their choreography (as you’ll see), but this is really more of a contemporary feel than hip hop. That said, I really enjoyed this routine.

Mark and Chelsie do a great job getting into the roles, particularly Mark. Mark really does seem like a much stronger dancer when he has that role. The few routines he struggled in this year came when they were “story-less” routines, all about the moves and dances. Certainly a flaw when it comes to this show, but it doesn’t take away from this performance. My favorite moves start at 1:22, the bridge portion.

3. Thayne’s Top 14 Solo

Now I’m guessing a lot of people will read this and think “No way. He’s nuts.” My own wife thinks this was a cheesy performance. That may be, but I’m putting this one on my list for a few reasons. First, I think the solos this season were somewhat bland, particularly the girls’ solos – too many contemporary dancers. I liked Twitch’s solos, I liked a couple of Will’s, and… I liked this one. Second, why did I like this one?

Something about the musicality (is that now a word?) of it. It’s not just a bunch of tricks and pirouettes (all the rage this season after Danny perfected them last season). Not a lot of leaps for the sake of jumping. It’s actually a mix of artistic moves closely choreographed to the music, and they’re not athletic moves or flashy moves, just musical. What do I mean?

The fall backwards onto the rail at 0:11. The right leg kickback and head back at 0:13. The elbows at 0:15. And so on. From the stairs, to his slowly-timed turns and pirouettes. His leap and head bobs. All of it was just timed carefully to the music; you can see his thought process. I loved Katee, but her solos pale majorly in comparison.

2. Will & Katee Pas de Deux

I don’t think words can do this routine justice. Probably the most difficult routine ever performed on SYTYCD, all four seasons included. So many great moves, so much grace and power. I only wish, and I realize this is a bit lame of me, I only wish they hadn’t made that one small mistake with Katee’s head hitting Will’s arm. It threw off the timing of the routine up until that break/pause in the middle, and kept this from true contention for my number 1 spot.

1. Katee & Joshua Hip Hop

And the number one spot! Right away from the first week, Katee and Joshua established themselves as both fan and judge (especially Nigel) favorites. They probably needed this, Katee especially, because of her Top 20 selection fiasco (I think the judges were being drama queens and totally driven by production value when they creamed Katee like they did), and there’s no doubt that their early momentum kept them out of the Bottom 3 and 2 for the whole show.

Again, I think this is more contemporary than hip hop, closer to Mia Michaels than to Dave Scott. But bottom line, it’s a well-choreographed, terrifically performed routine. My highlights: Joshua’s entrance at 2:26. The flip of Joshua at 2:50. The synchronized dancing at 2:52. The hands at 3:12. The facial expressions from then on. This had the emotional and technical impact, and sold me from day one.

So, I went with the five that hit me emotionally the most, the ones I want to watch over and over. Now, I KNOW I left your favorite off, and put a horrible performance in its place. Tell me which one you disagree with! And then tell me which one you agree with!

And only 1 day to the finals! As a teaser, I leave you with this from Philip Chbeeb, who we’ll see on Thursday, I’m guessing.

America’s Best Dance Crew: Episode 7 Review

I’m sure there are tons of true dance fans out there who supplement their SYTYCD fix with the ABDC jolt to the system. For those of you who do, here’s a terrific review on the latest episode of ABDC, by a great friend, Howard Han (no relation).

ABDC: Episode 7 Review (Fix It In Post)

Also, if you’re a fan of Comic Con, you’ll be visiting his blog many times.

Tomorrow:

My Top 5 Performances this season on SYTYCD!

SYTYCD: Top 6 Results – Mild Upset?

Eliminated!

Let’s discuss! Mark and Chelsie were eliminated in last night’s show.

First a quick recap: Let me start by saying that Adam is my least favorite judge this side of Toni Basil (who, I believe, is from the “street”). Adam just smacks of someone who’s trying a little too hard to be edgy and dynamic, and instead he comes off as fake and over the top. Kind of like when Mary tries to incorporate “buck” into her comments.

But I digress. Each dancer last night performed in the group dance (not a bad routine, actually) and then their own solo. Ironically, I felt that this week, Mark finally moved away from his one note solos (the Samoan crouch) and incorporated actual choreographical elements and musicality into his solos. I also noticed Joshua using a little bit of the Philip Chbeeb arm waggle (starting at 0:26 for those who forgot) in his solo – very impressive. We then learned that both Katee and Joshua were safe (though not necessarily the top vote getters, more on that later).

There were other performances sprinkled in, namely (1) an uncomfortably long break dance routine by a six-year-old “Lil Demon” and (2) a bizarre Lady Gaga performance that had echoes of Blue Man Group with her glasses. Nothing that grabbed me – unlike when Fergie performed London Bridge that one time a few years back.

Hmmm.

And that brought us to… the results.

Girls: Courtney – safe! Chelsie – out!

I fully admit I got this one wrong. I thought Courtney was a goner. However, on hindsight, this was actually somewhat foreseeable. By an unofficial count guess, I think Chelsie performed a latin-style dance about 5 times this season. Many times, she dazzled that stage with her quite frankly unparalleled brilliance in that style. And on Wednesday, she pulled another Mambo out of the hat and thoroughly danced Twitch off the stage….

…. And America yawned? Perhaps so. I’m thinking America had gotten a little used to her performances, and that was that. Especially after a lackluster hip hop routine and a “seen it” solo.

In any case, I’ll stand by one prediction (of sorts). Courtney will be the first one eliminated from the final four next week.

Boys: Twitch – safe! Mark – out!

I am still shaking my head over this one, to be honest. I really thought that Mark’s uniqueness and his strong performances on Wednesday had put him in the finals. He seemed to be that darkhorse who gained major momentum, because in actuality, I had him out the week before. However, Will and Twitch were in the bottom two, not him. But… I was wrong.

Maybe it was sympathy stemming from Twitch’s almost painfully sincere reaction to being put in the bottom two last week (he almost broke down on the stage weeping). Maybe Twitch’s admittedly terrific solos saved the day. Maybe America actually got it right by putting the more deserving and skilled dancer through. Who knows? In my opinion, I think it’s a bit of all three

As an aside, regardless of whether he wins, Twitch should definitely pursue an MBA some day – he’s a genius when it comes to marketing and branding himself with those glasses (on his t-shirt today) and the Superman-esque “T” logo.

And, going back to Cat’s line about how Joshua and Katee were not necessarily the top vote getters, despite being safe… I think Katee was indeed the top vote getter, but I’ll wager $100 that Twitch was the top male vote getter, over Joshua.

Predictions?

Where does that leave us for next week? Here are my early predictions, in reverse order of who I think will win.

4. Courtney: She’ll be that first one eliminated at 9:25 pm next Thursday.

3. Joshua: He’ll be eliminated next, and I’ll immediately shake my fist at the gods.

2. Katee: She’ll have performed brilliantly, flawlessly, beautifully, yet despite having done everything she needed to do to win, she won’t be able to over come the fanbase power of..

1. Twitch: Our first hip hop/popper winner (none too soon, in my opinion)!

Coming up soon:

A recap of the season, including my five favorite performances this year.

SYTYCD Top 6: One person’s review

So yes, I am a big So You Think You Can Dance fan… I prefer to call it a guilty pleasure, right up there with those “Top 100″ shows on VH1 (Top 100 Songs from the ’90s!; Top 100 One Hit Wonders!) and Kelly Clarkson.

Last night was the Top 6. Overall, this has been a really solid season – I don’t think I’ve been as emotionally invested in any of the dancers as I’ve been in the past (like I said, guilty pleasure), but everyone can really dance.

So without further ado, here is my review of the 6 dancers left in the competition, in order of my rankings for last night (best to worst).

1. Joshua

Paired with Katee, he danced a Tyce contemporary and a paso doble. There is an obvious chemistry or synergy with Katee, his original partner, and it absolutely came out last night. The judges pimped it, the two contestants pimped it, even Tyce put it out there. Heck, I even got a little excited about it. But bottom line, the contemporary piece was flat out amazing, with an incredible lift/catch that had Joshua catching Katee seemingly mid-leap (more on Katee’s performance later), plucking her out of the air. The paso doble, in my opinion, was even better – it seemed more of a complete performance rather than just lifts and aerials and tricks, with a passion in it that matched what I would expect out of two traditional paso doble dancers.

Joshua is my pick to win the whole thing. Part of it is the immense support he gets from the judges. But also, if one is to make the (unfair?) comparison with Twitch, I think Twitch is a great soloist, with real variety and intrigue in his choreography, but when it comes to more “mature” dances that require real facial solemnity, it’s Joshua who is much more believable as a dancer. Plus I think he’s technically great, at least in my uninformed opinion.

2. Katee

Well, I think it makes sense that the strongest couple from Week 1 (helped immensely by the fact that it was the first time we saw the user-friendly stylings of Nappy Tabs, also known as Tabitha and Napoleon) are the two top dancers right now. I think there’s an important lesson for contestants in SYTYCD or American Idol that may already be obvious, but here it is: You have to be great on week one – that’s the most important time to make that emotional link with viewers. Once you do that, you have set everyone’s expectations with you, and you can simply ride the wave of votes to the final.

Not that Katee isn’t incredibly deserving! As mentioned above, she danced the contemporary and paso doble with Joshua. Arguably, Katee’s performance was even better than Joshua’s. I definitely think she’s the better “dancer” both technically and artistically. Her ability to freeze mid leap, to use her face as a tool to convey emotions, to be fluid and hard in the same routine – I think she’s one of the top 5 dancers all time on the show. Better than Sabra partly because of her natural build, there really hasn’t been one single off performance from Katee. That said, I think she is number 2 behind Joshua for one reason, her solos just don’t do it for me. They’re good, but this season, the female solos have been subpar and even worse, boring. I think we’ve seen the contemporary-dancer-solo bit a few too many times by now, and ballroom dancers just can’t carry off solos at all.

3. Chelsie

I think there’s a huge gap between 2 and 3 on this list, but let’s not shortchange Chelsie! No one, absolutely no one, has been better with ballroom or latin style dances than Chelsie, ever on this show.

Paired with Twitch, she started with the Mambo then went to Hip Hop. I thought (again, in my uninformed opinion) that she was absolutely flawless in the Mambo. She really knows how to dance those latin styles – you really couldn’t take your eyes off her, and Twitch just faded right into the background (as perhaps males are supposed to do?). The judges keep talking about her legs and their length… I don’t know if it’s that or just that her movements are so precise yet dynamic, a killer combination in these dances. The Hip Hop, however, I felt was a dud. I expected more out of them, considering it was Twitch and Nappy Tabs, but I should remember, Nappy Tabs don’t really do hard hip hop very well, and Twitch is much better with popping styles than with “lyrical hip hop” (a derided term amongst hip hop dancers). Chelsie didn’t embarrass herself by any means, but it did not measure up to Katee or Joshua at all. Plus, Chelsie’s solos really could just be copied and pasted from one week to another, except with different colored lingerie outfits.

4. Mark

A huge surprise for me if he makes it into the finals. I liked Mark in his performances where he had to assume a role – it seemed to actually improve his dancing technique as well when he could disappear into a distinct character – but overall, he seemed like a one-note dancer (a weird note at that). His solos are strange, almost Samoan (perhaps not surprising given his Hawaiian roots), but yet he’s lasted longer than Will (who should be in the Alvin Ailey company anyway).

Last night, he danced with Courtney and drew the Viennese Waltz and Jazz. The waltz was terrible in my eyes, but the judges (particularly Adam) loved it. However, the Jazz, choreographed by a person even more outwardly different than Mark, fit him to a T. The music, the movements, the character all meshed with his profile perfectly, and it was a good dance as well. I think this will be enough to carry him into the finals, in a mild upset over Twitch.

5. Twitch

Probably an early favorite to make it into the finals, due to his popping style and his personality. The judges tried very hard to pimp him into the finals for sure, and he has a fan-friendly presence on screen. But after a mild scare in the Top 12 results, where the judges were guaranteed to put him through to the Top 10, he took another blow last week when he again landed in the Bottom 2. That surprised me more than any thing else because I had thought his popularity was high enough to not have to worry. That shows me he’s vulnerable, and last night didn’t help his cause.

With Chelsie, Twitch got out danced in the Mambo and came up short in the Hip Hop. I think he needed a more dynamic routine in the Hip Hop to save him, and Nappy Tabs let him down. While it was a funny routine, I just don’t see any connection with the fans. Also, Twitch really really struggles when he needs to be a seriously male lead. Perhaps because the choreography gets more difficult for him when it comes to waltzes or paso dobles or what have you, but also because he’s just not believable as a romantic lead, a quality you desperately need to pull those off (see: Mark). For that reason, I see Twitch as off this week.

6. Courtney

And last (and least), Courtney. I think she’s been carried here by her looks, and while she can dance, I think she’s too much of a one noter as well. I didn’t buy her in the Waltz, and I didn’t really pay any attention to her in the Jazz. I guess she’s another dancer I just don’t believe in when it comes to dramatic characters – I feel like she puts on her practiced “serious look” (mouth a little open, eyebrows knit, hands outstretched) and that’s it. I think she’s a lock to go.

Thoughts??