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Hi, Julie here, filling in for Elisa this week -- Elisa's at the BlogHer '10 Conference in New York already, whereas I am on the plane this very minute.
That's not the only difference between me and Elisa. See, I TOTALLY believed Billy Bell's emotion this season. I think his strange, almost other-than-human grace provokes emotion so well he doesn't need to emote it. I'm with those who think that there is no justice in this world and that we just lost the greatest dance genius the show has ever seen. Oh, except for Alex Wong. I liked Alex better than Billy, actually. And Debbie Allen's protégé Will a few seasons back. And probably a few geniuses got robbed in the first couple of seasons, which I didn't watch. As it is now on SYTYCD is as it always was as is it ever will be, minus the hot tamale train.
And Jose's gone too, of course, but that was hardly a shock -- he's been Dead Man Dancing these last few weeks.
Image courtesy FOX
So tonight we have AdeChike, Robert, Kent, and Lauren contending for the finals. When you have nobody better on the stage to compare them to, I do like them all, especially now that we know them all soooo much better thanks to the extended -- engorged, even -- finals-are-almost-here "packages" this week. We learned that:
- Lauren really is just barely out of high school, where she was student council vice president and local saint.
- AdeChike's grin is adorable and his mom is sweet.
- Robert lives in a Melrose Place-type situation with Channing from season 6. I would like to see a prime time Melrose remake with lots and lots of dancing -- but only if it didn't star Robert and Channing.
- Kent is out to prove to America that Wapakoneta is a very small town by yelling at trucks. Also by dancing in front of tractors and striking poses next to cows.
On to the dancing.
COMPETITORS DANCING WITH EACH OTHER
All Four Danced a Tyce Diorio Broadway Routine
I found this number, set to "The Crapshooters' Dance" from Guys and Dolls, lackluster -- not much oomph except for Robert, who was precise and energetic. Robert's sometimes-cartoony looks fit the cartoonish feel of the dance well. Oh, and Lauren's dress unzipped itself down the back. That girl sure has a way of dancing out of her clothes.
COMPETITORS DANCING WITH ALL-STARS
Lauren and Pasha Danced a Tango by Miriam Larici and Leonardo Barrionuevo
A whisper of a tango to Astor Piazzolla's hushed “Oblivion,” very soft and graceful and very quietly sexy. Cat had it right when she said, "I feel as though I'm interrupting something." Lauren had elegant, dramatic facial expressions -- which made it all the more bizarre to jump straight to the Perky High School Lauren of her background package. They grow up so fast, those kids.
Lauren and Ade Danced a Jazz Routine by Sean Cheesman
I didn't really buy Lauren as deadly black widow luring Ade to his doom: Lauren is very strong, but there were parts of this dance, especially in the steps leading up to some ridiculously impressive lifts -- in which she looked like a cheerleader hopping from pose to pose. And the Vanity 6-era lace bodysuit wasn't helping me take her any more seriously. But those lifts were awesome.
Adechike and All-Star Lauren Danced a Sean Cheesman African Jazz Routine
Danced to “The Path” by Ralph MacDonald, this story was apparently a journey to freedom. I don't know if the bizarre rust-colored shrug Wardrobe made him wear was supposed to be a symbol of oppression; he didn't tear it off at the end, so I may be reading too much into yet another SYTYCD costume fail. Dancewise, AdeChike was able to display his impressive strength and muscle control, but I agree with the judges -- he can be too controlled, too tight, which means too boring.
AdeChike and All-Star Kathryn Danced "a Combination of Styles" by Desmond Richardson and Dwight Rohden
I gave AdeChike props early in the season for being the only dancetestant to name an actual dancer as his inspiration. That dancer was Desmond Richardson, and to be choreographed by his idol was clearly a spark for AdeChicke. He danced with energy and joy to “Fearless Love” by Melissa Etheridge -- but I wish I could say good things about the choreography, which seemed jumbled and unfluid, a bounce from move to move
