So you think you can Dance: Top 12

I’m staying at a friend’s house and watched SYTYCD on his huge iMac. I may be turned into a Mac-User after all: It’s a neat machine. So I enjoyed this week’s performances on a big screen. Fabulous: Both the screen and the performances. Even my friend – whom I have tried to teach ballroom for five years at university and is now enjoying it under rather more professional training – after saying he wasn’t interested couldn’t take his eyes off the screen after Ryan’s and Ellenore’s Lindy Hop. It was the greatest show of the season, no doubt. Let’s take a look at the individual couples:

• Ryan and Ellenore: Great performance in the Lindy-Hop, though it felt a bit, well, distanced for me. It was great no doubt, but I didn’t get all excited. Maybe it’s the Lindy-Hop, I’m a Jive-Man, so maybe it just felt weird to me. Their Broadway routine – on the other hand – was outstanding. Since I started watching SYTYCD in season five, I have not seen a Broadway routine danced to such perfection. They combined quirkiness and darkness perfectly, greatly performing along every change in the music. Outstanding!!!
• Legacy and Kathryn: Both of their performances were very well suited for them, they both depicted their story in very different ways. Sonya’s Jazz routine, was just WOW, in both choreography and execution! Their Waltz first of all, well wasn’t a Waltz. They never were in closed position, I found it hard to hear the 6/8 beat in the music, and yes, Legacy’s technique was bordering on non-existent. But their performance was great. There was one moment where Kathryn looked at Legacy with such an encouraging smile – which alone told the story. And Kathryn’s metamorphosis from sexy in the Jazz routine to elegant in the Waltz was remarkable and showing her versatility.
• Victor and Karen: Yes, their Tango was fabulous. Again, it played to her strength in sensuality and Victor lead it exquisitely – that said, I would add to Nigel’s critique on his swayback that he also should have been a bit lower in his knees. Their hip-hop showed once more that Karen so far survived on sensuality alone. Even taking into account that it was their first show together they were terribly out of sync. They themselves set expectations high with their comments before the performance – and failed to meet them.
• Nathan and Mollee: As the judges said, Mollee wasn’t 100% committed in their Hip-Hop and that kind of spoiled it a bit. Plus, I did not really like the combination of modern music and the “history lesson” story it felt mismatched. It was great to see Nathan have genuine fun! Their CanCan was a goof-ball festival, well danced and thoroughly entertaining. I don’t quite see that it once was, as Tyce said, a couple’s dance, because they hardly touched each other. But certainly one of the best performances of the evening.
• Russell’s and Noelle’s Samba felt awkward. Excuse me: Russell should not be made wearing these Ballroom-outfits. It was certainly good in technique, much better than could be expected, but it felt misplaced. They more than made up for that in their contemporary routine. I love Tyce’s contemporary pieces, and they were breathtaking and moving in their performance. It was the most memorable piece this season and fabulously executed. They are both growing superbly and this routine showed it to the max.
• I just have one word for Jakob and Ashleigh’s Lyrical Jazz number: WOW!!! It played to their strengths, both were beautiful to see. It left me breathless. Their Cha-Cha didn’t, but I was stunned. I so enjoyed seeing their roles inversed with Jakob now having to live up to Ashleigh and he did. She took it home – and remember that that should not be taken for granted. They are certainly the best dancing couple in this competition.

Well, where does that leave us? I haven’t seen the results yet, so I’ll attempt a guess. And it’s going to be just tat, a guess, because I have no idea who could be in the bottom three, except for maybe one couple. I think Karen and Victor will be there again, for one because they deserve it after this show, and they are certainly no strangers to the bottom three. Nathan and Mollee showed last week that their following is not as big as expected, and could find themselves there again. After tonight’s first round I thought Russell and Noelle were in danger, but they picked up, while Legacy and Kathryn failed to impress with their Waltz. My guess is that the bottom three will come from these four couples.

No idea as to whom the judges pick. For the boys it probably will be Victor, for the girl, I hope it’s Karen. She’s lost when she can’t be sensual, so she least deserves to be in a show where variety of talents is the key.