Season 6
“It’s been a sobering night,” Nigel said after Mollee and Nathan labored through their Salsa number.
They were the second to the last couple to perform tonight, as So You Think You Can Dance is down to eight couples. Karen and Kevin started off the evening with the Hustle and Karen getting a prediction of longevity from Nigel, “You are gonna go a long way in this competition!”
Mandy Moore’s jazz choreography of Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s Relax was reminiscent of her choreography of the Eurythmics’ Sweet Dreams in the Sabra and Neil number from Season 3. Tonight she had Ashleigh and Jakob use a cane; Sabra and Neil used a table.
Alan Shankman was spot on in his comment for Filipina Pauline Mata, “Great use of (your) natural ethnicities!” She was a hula girl to Peter’s Navy man meets Quick Step. Pauline joked that the dance is known to be the Kiss of Death to contestants — they either do it brilliantly, or they fail at it miserably. Thankfully, she and Peter did a pretty decent job and were “appropriately adorable”.
Big disappointment of the evening were fan favorites Mollee and Nathan in a Salsa number. Alan Shankman said the routine “exposed their weakness.” They looked uncomfortable, uncertain, but they did try hard.
Jumping on Mary Murphy’s Hot Tamale Train tonight was one of my favorites, Krumper Russel in an Afro-Jazz number by Sean Cheesman. He was awesome! Partner Noelle did a great job but there’s something amazing in seeing street dancers grow on the show. A feat my favorite, Legacy, has been doing week after week. His marked improvement overshadowed partner Kathryn’s work. He got the lionshare of the compliments while she got the critiquing.
Still no numbers tonight that dazzled me like last season’s and the bar that the judges set with their proclamations of “Season 6 is gonna blow Season 5 out of the water!” don’t seem to be accurate. . . so far.
Could it be the choreographers? So many new names to the show. Stacy Tookey’s routine looks like her routine last week: needy couple/needy woman/ needy man and its variations again. But it’s only the third week and we have eight couples seven couples to watch after tomorrow and the rest of the season for them to grow on us.
The two couples pronounced possible leavers tomorrow: Ryan and Ellenore in their uncomfortable zone, Hiphop, and Mollee and Nathan in their uncomfortable zone, Salsa.
It’s hard to say who’s going home. Fans came to Evan’s rescue and kept him in until there were only FOUR. If people pick up the phones for Mollee and Nathan, they’ll be safe. Ryan and Ellenore just aren’t made for Hiphop at this point despite their being technically excellent.
If Mollee and Nathan have already found a dedicated following, we’ll see them next week.
I wonder what the Esteemed 12 from Season 5 thought as they sat in the front row tonight. Cool set?
Tomorrow, the always anticipated opening production number and musical guest.
Postscript:
Mollee and Nathan were safe but Nigel gave scathing comments to Nathan for his immature comments before performing and bluntly gave the reality check that he was only getting votes out of fan favoritism and not out of skill. As a result, dancers who deserve to stay, Nigel said, end up going home.
I was right in my prediction about Ryan and Ellenore joining Mollee and Nathan in the bottom three but wasn’t too sure who the third couple would be. When it was announced that it was Peter and Pauline I knew right away that they’d go home.
Pauline did a very good job. Alan Shankman described her dancing as very classroom-y, advanced, but very classroom-y. And Peter’s tapping just wasn’t enough to carry him further in the competition. However, I think he did a great job of performing and being the characters he was asked to be. Up against, Kevin and Ryan in the Bottom 3 though, he just wasn’t good enough to stay.
Awww. No Filipino yet in the Esteemed 4 this season then. Maybe next year.
