meara

Actually watching it on a Wednesday night because I'm HOME. Shocking!

So, the top 14!

I'm still having a hard time remembering who the girls are during the little intro bit. I'm like "wait, Karla? Which one is she?" When they're actually talking and doing the pre-dance bits, it's fine, but...well, I think it says something about the girls they chose. OR maybe it just says something about my enjoyment of girls dancing. Maybe I am awful, like Mia.

And Mia is judging tonight! Ooh, this ought to be interesting! Though of course, it means no Mia dances. Ah well.

The real question is, do we get a Michael Jackson tribute this week?

Wait, whaddya mean the first ever classical pas de deux? Didn't we have one of those last year, with big hype?? So confused...

Janette and Brandon: chacha with JeanMarc Genereaux ("Hush Hush" Pussycat Dolls) They were good, of course--they're both great. I want to see them do something that isn't ballroom, now...they've had three ballroomy things, now (and the hiphop) so I want them to do something else now!!

Kayla and Kupono: contemporary with Sonja Tayeh ("Eyes on Fire" Blue Foundation) Hmm. Contemporary is so hit or miss for me--some of them I really love, but a lot of times it just fails to move me. This one seemed good, danced well and all, but it didn't DO much for me, so it's hard for me to say. But is that the dancers, or just the choreographer? Is there a way for the dancers to overcome that? Sure, oftentimes they can suck so bad at the choreography that you can say "Yeah, that was the dancing", but...hrm.

Randi and Evan: Broadway with Joey Dowling ("Rich Man's Frug", Sweet Charity) OK, the only thing I could think during this was "is it the choreography or the costuming that Randi has NO NECK during this whole thing?" Her shoulders seemed all hunched up. A little odd. But most of it was cute. Evan made great evil faces.

Caitlin and Jason: jazz with Brian Freeman ("Creator" Santigold) Ooh. Interesting. I"m not sure I would've gotten what it was (about the alien and the last man and the pregnant) without the intro, but it was cool. And I liked the choreo. I maybe would've liked it a little better with someone other than Caitlin? It might've been a little more...fierce? I think she did fine. But I think someone else might've kicked it out of the park, though, y'know? (Oh, sure, Nigel, of course you think she's covered up)

Jeanine and Phillip: hiphop with Napoleon and Tabitha ("Love Lockdown" Kanye ) Seriously, Phillip gets hiphop again?? And of course, he looks great when he's doing it. The chain seemed a little too difficult of a prop, at times, like they were too concerned with it, and not able to focus on the dancing. Or maybe it was more what Mia was saying, that it was just distracting me? But when they WERE able to dance, it was good. (OMG, Nigel called them NappyTab??)

Melissa and Ade: How is this the "first ever classical pas de deux"? I thought last year we had that with Will? Huh? Is it that she can be en pointe? And so now it's a CLASSICAL one, and last year we had just a PLAIN pas de deux? Thordal CHristenssen choreographing. from Romeo and Juliet by Prokofiev: Well, what can I say. I like ballet. So pretty. (Gosh, imagine if they'd gotten the boy from the Miami ballet!) Nigel's right, Ade is clearly not a ballet dancer, I'm sure if he was they'd have put in a little more, and a few less "run over here, run over there", but it was nice still. Though I"d love to hear commentary from someone who knows ballet on Melissa...

Karla and Vittolio: quickstep with JeanMarc Generaux ("Puttin' on the Ritz" Rufus Wainwright) How did her costume do that?? Wow! There was a spot in the middle where they looked a little slow and into the ground, but for the most part I'd say their frame and feet looked good to me! Vittolio looks GREAT in that tux.