bunt sign live

Flunking Chemistry 101
Let’s go through the top nine couples on tonight’s episode of So You Think You Can Dance in the order in which they performed (because that’s the order my notes are in).

As I watched Thayne and Chelsea, they seemed labored and lightweight at the same time. There’s really no depth and no ease to what I saw in this routine. The judges all say that they love Mandy Moore’s choreography, but I think she’s had some of my least favorite routines the first two weeks. Last week it was that jazz number that Kourtni and Matt did, and this week, Thayne and Chelsea’s jazz number was not great either.

The Argentine tango that Chelsie and Mark did had some really intricate moves, and I think they hit the high points of it really well. Also, I love this couple and I believe them together and I like the way they work together. There are several of the guys this year that I just don’t like watching, for whatever reason, but Mark is not one of them. Of all the guys, Mark is one of my favorites to watch perform. I really hope going so early in the program doesn’t handicap these two, because that seems to be one of the factors that keeps good dancers from getting votes. I gave them a few extra votes, just because I really, really like them.

Jessica and Will got kind of a raw deal last week, and I’m not sure why, because I thought their tango was good. The hip hop routine that they did this week was really fun, and it flowed so well and they looked so good together. I know that Mia and Mary didn’t think Jessica was hard enough, that she was too cheerleader-like or whatever, and I disagree with that. I thought she was perfect for the routine, which was not the edgiest kind of hip hop there is. The judges like Will so much that I’m afraid if these two are in the bottom three again, they might get rid of Jessica just on the principle that getting Will another partner could make him stronger. I know they want him to be around in the end. They keep saying they expect him to be in the final four.

Kourtni and Matt’s fox trot was okay, with nothing really memorable about it, but Matt is one of those guys I don’t really like watching. I know he’s a good dancer, but I wish when they got to the final two last week between him and Jamie, that they’d kept Jamie. Jamie is all personality, and I think he’s a good dancer, but Matt? I’m happy for him that he’s such a wonderful dancer, but it doesn’t make me want to watch him.

On the other hand, the very romantic piece that Mandy Moore did for Courtney and Gev was just beautiful and amazing and one of my favorite routines on the show so far this year. She is so beautiful, and he is not one of those guys I don’t like to watch, and I hope that the moves and the talent and the connection that this routine brought out in them will help keep them around.

Katee and Joshua were my favorites last week and they’re my favorites this week. Their Broadway routine was just amazing and riveting and you couldn’t take your eyes off it. They hit so many high points and so many steps, and it had such character to it, that it was just really, really fun to watch. They are artists as soon as they take the stage, and I will always look forward to their routines.

The so-called “salsa” that Susie and Marquis did didn’t do anything for me. I don’t think they’re particularly strong dancers and I don’t think they form a strong partnership, and I really didn’t see much in what they did tonight to recommend them for staying around long in this competition. She’s gorgeous and she has nice hips and moves around well, and I guess Marquis has some talent, but I just don’t believe them very much. And the worst part, at least as far as tonight’s show goes, is that their whole routine seemed out of sync to me, as if they were not quite on the same page, or not doing the same steps at the same time. I’m not an expert, but it just didn’t look right. They did an unmemorable waltz last week, and an unmemorable salsa this week, so if they’re not in the bottom three, I’ll be surprised.

The Viennese Waltz that Kherington and Twitch did tonight is the first ballroom routine so far this season that I’ve had any strong positive feelings about. Maybe it’s the story behind the dance, but I think it’s more that this is a couple with some real chemistry and some real moves and lines, and they just look so good together. They’re another one of my favorites.

The judges were way too hard on Comfort and Chris tonight. Not that it was a great routine, because frankly I just don’t get krumping. They did the best they could with what they had to work with, but I don’t see how you can expect anybody to be gangsta (or whatever they were supposed to be) when they’re not. I have a problem with creating a dance like this and asking anyone who’s trained in any discipline to do it. It just doesn’t work for me. I didn’t like the routine, but I love them and I gave them some extra votes because I think they deserve it and I’d like them to stay around.

My top three tonight: Katee and Joshua, Courtney and Gev, Kherington and Twitch, Chelsie and Mark. (What is this, math class?)

My bottom three: Susie and Marquis, Thayne and Chelsea, Kourtni and Matt.

Your results may vary.

Advertisement