SYTYCD S9: Top 20 Perform, Part 2
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SYTYCD S9: Top 20 Perform, Part 2


Can I just say how weird it is not to have a results show anymore? Not that I don't like it, as they were always incredibly bloated, but the offing of four dancers tonight felt very rushed and sort of like okay sorry, buh-bye! They didn't even get to dance solos! What is the world coming to! I suspect that this will change in the future, depending on who's in the bottom each week, but who knows. That's one thing about this show: they're always changing it up.
Recap/review of So You Think You Can Dance Season 9 - Top 20 Perform, Part 2 by freshfromthe.com

To be perfectly honest about tonight's show, I wasn't really in love with any of the routines particularly. None of them were outright horrible, but apart from two that I liked a touch more than the others, they were all sort of just good, but not great. That being said, let's talk about them...

Lindsay & Cole - These two had a Christopher Scott routine that was very character heavy (a theme of the night, to be sure), all about a nerd going to the dentist. I'm not sure there was really that much actual dancing in the routine; it felt more like a bit of light fluff. Not that it wasn't fun, because it was, but perhaps the funniest part of all was how Cole refused to break character once the dance was over.

Amelia & Will - In one of the better routines of the evening, these two had a Sonya Tayeh piece that was full of punctuated movements and staccato violin. What's interesting is that you wouldn't necessarily think these two would make a good match, but unexpectedly, they are actually great together. They were synchronized and clearly trusting of one another, which showed through in the dancing.

Amber & Nick - These two had a Miriam and Leonardo tango, and although the judges were quick to praise it, I felt like something was a little off, mostly, perhaps, in the chemistry department. Like, it sort of seemed like Amber was annoyed at Nick or something. It's possible that was just part of the characterization they were going for, but I don't know. The routine felt sort of stiff and emotionless to me, and, spoiler alert, I was not at all surprised to find that Nick was in the bottom three, though Amber was safe.

Audrey & Matthew - They had the second Sonya Tayeh piece of the night, which was much dirtier, but still one of the better pieces of the evening. It was hard hitting, darker, more aggressive, and honestly I tend to like that Sonya style better than her more traditional contemporary numbers. The judges went pretty mad over it, which is sort of becoming a trend, it seems. I will say, though, that despite being so tiny, Audrey had mad extension skills.

Janelle & Dareian - The second of the Christopher Scott routines was done by these two, and like I said last week, something about Janelle's dancing just seems a little lackluster to me. She's doing the moves, but she's not feeling them, that's the only way I can explain it. Dareian, on the other hand, was just as good as I've come to expect in so short a time. Nigel totally dissed Chris Scott on having another light routine, though! Oh man, choreographer burn!

Janaya & Brandon - What's this? A Broadway routine I don't hate? It's true! But it was choreographed by Sean Cheesman (instead of *ahem* Tyce), so maybe that makes a difference. It's actually kind of a pity, because I thought Janaya danced the crap out of it, getting really into her character and having a ton of fun, only to then find she was in the bottom three. Brandon, however, was not, which was actually a relief, I think he has more to show than he's had the chance to so far.

Eliana & Cyrus - Oh god, these two had a jive by Melanie and Tony, and... well, Eliana was great. I doubt she will ever not be great. But Cyrus? Yeah, this is not something for him to shine in. Granted, he didn't completely suck, but he seemed a bit uncomfortable and was missing a fluidity. Honestly I want him to be able to do a more emotional piece, because I think it could open something up in him, instead of these two light ones he's had so far.

Alexa & Daniel - These two had a Dee Caspary contemporary piece that had a big prop - a bathtub. I thought maybe the judges were going to overpraise it, when I actually found myself sort of getting distracted and not paying much attention, but then Adam basically said he felt it was missing something too. I'm not alone! Apparently, really not, because these two both ended up in the bottom three after last week. I guess all of that airtime for Alexa didn't mean much when it came time to vote!

Tiffany & George - Usually when a couple picks a foxtrot, it's like the sound of a death knell in the wind, but with this Tony and Melanie piece, these two actually seemed to nail it. It's a hard dance to get overly excited about in general, and I did think that their last life thingy was sort of weird, but otherwise they danced it really well.

Witney & Chehon - Rounding out the night was this pair with a Nakul choreographed Bollywood routine. It was crazy fast. They had to do so many intricate moves, but they did it all. There wasn't a lot of partner work, which was probably to Chehon's benefit, because he was vastly improved over last week, though it didn't keep either of them out of the bottom three. That's right, Witney was in the bottom three too, which was really the only surprise for me.

We also had an opening group number that I really enjoyed choreographed by NapTab, and an interlude by some of the dancers from the new Step Up movie that guest judge Adam Shankman couldn't stop yammering about. But, let's get back to the bottom three...

Girls:
Janaya
Alexa
Witney

Guys:
Nick
Daniel
Chehon

It's pretty obvious who they decided to save from the girls, right? I would've been outright shocked had it not been Witney, but it was, which means that sends both Janaya and Alexa packing. Out of the guys, I knew Nick would be getting the boot, but I kind of thought they would keep Daniel. Alas, it was not his lucky day, and Chehon got to stay instead. Which means that Amber and Brandon will be a new couple next week.

Do you agree with who went home? Do you feel sort of cheated that we didn't get to see their solos? Because I kinda do, to be honest.

Previous Episode -- Next Episode




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