News, Reviews & Commentary on Gay and Bisexual Men in Entertainment and the Media

"So You Think You Can Dance" (Week 5) recaplet: The Top 10 are revealed

Welcome to our So You Think You Can Dance Season 4 Week 5 recaplet where in the course of two nights we were treated to some Alvin Ailey, some girl-on-girl song stylings courtesy of Katy Perry and her single "I Kissed a Girl" and one killer Bollywood number!

Can I just start by saying that you have to love a show that gives us a near flawless Bollywood routine. Joshua Allen and Katee Shean (pictured above) worked it out and I'm floored that middle America apparently loved this middle Eastern treat but I'm getting way ahead of myself. 

Let's start back on Wednesday night when the Top 12 performed two routines each - which I must say is tiring beyond belief.  Just sitting there on my couch watching these kids kill themselves with twelve routines was enough to make me pass out the minute the show was over.  It's like sympathy pains or something, after two hours I was spent.

*You can watch all of the Top 12 performances over at my TV blog: Ducky Does TV

Chelsie and Mark show Broadway's sultry side

My TV Boyfriend Mark Kanemura and Chelsie Hightower
First Dance: Salsa by Alex Da Silva  Kicking off the show with my new TV Boyfriend Mark and that cutie patootie Chelsie is as Martha Stewart would say, a good thing.  Both were smokin hot out there doing their salsa but there were some moments where they were anticipating each other and I hate being able to see that it's choreographed.  Pulling the curtain back to reveal how inorganic it really is ruins the fantasy for me.  Fashion wise, I think that everyone should have custom made pants because those suckers gave scrawny Mark the finest ass ... child!  The judges complained that Mark was too stiff and all I kept thinking was that's how I'd like my Mark...

Second Dance: Broadway by Tyce Diorio  I so wanted this girl power routine to be sexier and dirtier than it really was.  Chelsie should have been dominating that boy and at times she did but I wanted her to beat him down!  While there were moments of greatness, overall I felt a little let down.  Am I wrong?  Like Chelsie said, "That's a w-a-r-p"  Thank god she's beautiful and talented because based on her spelling ability I can't say she's Smarter Than a 5th Grader.

Comfort and Thayne try to step it up and ... well ... dance

Comfort Fedoke and Thayne Jasperson
First Dance:
Hip-Hop by Napoleon and Tabitha  We've been waiting all season to see Comfort nail a hip-hop routine because that's her style and if this was what we waited for, I want my money back.  Comfort was solid but not hard enough to blow me away and sadly, I think this sealed the deal with wanting to send her home this week.  Thayne was a little too soft but did the best he could at butching it up (Nigel's term not mine) and riding comfort from one end of the stage to the other - wait what?  Cat called it "Hip-Hop Days of our Lives" and if that's the case, Comfort's breasts were performing their own telenovela in her yellow get up.

Second Dance: Contemporary by Mandy Moore  I'm so over Comfort and I feel bad.  She was slow, boring and sloppy which at times made it seem like Thayne was dancing by himself.  That can't be good.  My girl Mia Michaels called her out for faking it and she was so dead on.  This is the point in the competition where a dancer's lack of training really starts to hurt them and it's time for Comfort to go home. Sorry, girl.

Eight more dancers and the results show after the break!

Jessica and Will get raw

Jessica King and Will Wingfield
First Dance: Contemporary by Tyce Diorio  This Garden of Eden inspired ethereal performance made me wonder what the hell kind of Bible Tyce was studying from as a child.  That was some dirty ass Adam and Eve action happening and it was sexy as all get out!  The routine was gorgeous and haunting as was Will's body - the kid is like a thoroughbred ... I got the vapors!  While there were some sticky moments, I'll forgive it because the piece was beyond captivating. I rewatched it a couple times, I'll admit it.

Second Dance: Quickstep by Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin   My partner Jon and I spent most of the time arguing about whether this style of dance belongs in the competition so I had to go back and rewatch the routine. For the record, it so doesn't belong. No one has ever been able to pull off the Quickstep on the show and have it be a true honest to blog Quickstep.  These kids have 5 hours to learn the dance with the choreographers and unless they're trained in ballroom, it's just not gonna happen. GET RID OF THE QUICKSTEP NOW.  See, I got caught up in it again and never mentioned what I thought of the dance. 

Courtney and Gev's Cha-Cha was so-so

Courtney Galiano and Gev Manoukian
First Dance: Cha Cha by Pasha and Anya (Season 3 Semi-Finalists)  Hold the phone, Gev is Russian?  Suddenly the boy has a slight accent just because he's hanging around Pasha and Anya?  Has anyone else heard him speak with a Russian accent before or am I not alone in thinking he showcased his Madonna "accent of convenience" this week?  I'm so confused.  While I can't really critique the routine I will say that I don't care what anyone thinks, these two have some of the best chemistry on the show!  Sure the choreography was weak and almost disco-like but I was impressed that Gev could move as well as he did (accentuated by those homemade ass pants).  We also learned that Gev is willing to go the extra mile and shave for the camera ... he's into manscaping and why not?

Second Dance: Jazz by Mandy Moore  The only real prop this week was a map and it was incorporated into the routine perfectly.  I loved watching these two fight over directions and just having fun out there on stage.  My elation may have had a bit to do with hearing Siouxie Sioux, I'll admit that, but I stand by the fact that I loved this routine and I'm predicting that it will be one of my faves when the SYTYCD Tour rolls around this fall. 

Twitchington get buck wild

Kherington Payne and Twitch
First Dance: Krump by Lil C  What the buck is Kherington wearing?  It was a little like watching Sandy from Grease get all nasty out there doing the krump so it freaked me out a tad.  By the end though, I was loving how the outfit played into the buckness of the routine.  For those of your wonder, yes buck is a word and it seems to only work in association with krumping.  Y'all know I love me some Twitch but I have to say that I didn't like seeing my boy be so scary and aggressive.  I love how Mia describes the success of a krump:  It's good if it's dirty, disgusting, nasty, ugly and stank ... hundreds of fetishists everywhere are wondering if I'm talking about something entirely different than dancing.

Second Dance: Smooth Tango by Jean-Marc Generaux  I love these two, you know that, but I expected so much more out of a Mr. & Mrs. Smith-inspired battle royale.  There was no danger or excitement and most of all no pent up sexual aggression.  This is the first time in a couple weeks that these two have really failed me and I'm bummed out.  See what happens when too many routines clutter my brain?  I sour on my favorite dancers.

Are Joshua and Katee waltzing into my heart?

Katee Shean and Joshua Allen
First Dance:
Viennese Waltz by Jean-Marc Generaux  Their waltz was very ghostlike and Katee really seemed to be floating on air.  They performed this snake wrap at the end of the routine that was flawless and made only better by Cat Deeley telling Katee that she "nailed the snake."  Oh that saucy host!  Am I really going to say this?  Katee was absolutely stunning tonight and oh goodness, I think I'm starting to see what everyone else has been talking about for weeks ... she's one of the best girls in the competition.  This goes against everything I thought at the beginning of the season.

Second Dance: Bollywood by Nakul Dev Mahajan  Give these two a standing ovation because that was superb!  Is this the first time Bollywood has been performed on SYTYCD?  For being two dancers who didn't even know what Bollywood was, they killed it!  Katee looked like she was born to dance this style and both of them made it look effortless.  Hands-down my favorite dance of the night!

The Quote of the Week has to go to Judge and Choreographer Mia Michaels for her Basic Instinct serial killer sappho statement about contestant Chelsie Hightower: "You're gorgeous, like I want to stab you you're so gorgeous..."  Atta girl!

Going into the Results Show on Thursday I was positive of two things: Comfort was going home and which ever guy was cut was getting screwed.  When you look at the slate of male dancers left in the competition, none of them deserved to go home this week.

Will is phenomenal, Twitch is a huge fan favorite, Mark is My TV Boyfriend, Joshua has been dominating the floor and poor Thayne's never really been given his chance to shine.  The kid has been saddled with two partners that were not up to his level of dance and I feel bad for him.  In my opinion, if Mia Michaels says you've got "fabulocity" then there's something we're not seeing and that's because he's had two untrained gals to schlep around for the last two months.  In the end Comfort and Thayne went home and really there was no other choice. 

The good news is that starting next week everything changes! The couples will switch from week to week and we'll finally get a chance to see if Courtney, Gev, Kherington and Joshua have the talent to stand out with new partners. I single those four out because I have a feeling they're the weakest dancers left and removing the chemistry they've built with their current partners will really push them to their limits and inevitably one or two of them will crash and burn.

Now that the Top 10 have been revealed, I'm intrigued to know who's going to the SYTYCD Tour this fall?  I absolove the tour and I think they have the right combination of dancers and routines to make this one just as memorable as the last two years have been.  For all of the tour information, head over to Fox.com. 

Until next week...

Kong Chang's picture

Great blog, Dan. I would

Great blog, Dan. I would so disappointed to see Thayne go this week. We've lost two great technical contemporary dancers so far. We have one technical dancer in Will, and one "i don't know how to describe his style" contemporary dancer, Mark, left.

But the competition is just starting. Once the mixup occurs, the judges don't decide who to kick off anymore. From now on, it's just America picking who they like over the other, so it's all personality from henceforth.

And yes, this was the 1st Bollywood dance ever on this show. I hope they do more cultural dances. They're fun to watch.

 

KC

Maintainer of Luke MacFarlane Online
db's picture

I so agree with you about Thayne

It really shows how important partners are in this competition.  Thayne is a beautiful dancer with great lines and fabulous technique--he brought Comfort really far last week but the poor guy was so busy hoisting his partner's weight and getting them into a place where they could even compete he never really got a chance to shine.  I think Comfort is dreadful--always seeming to put the blame for her own weaknesses on her partners, she dragged her partners down--I don't know how she lasted this long.

dback's picture

I'm still peeved that they cut Jamie the first week

Future epitaph: "It seemed like a good idea at the time."

The man literally seemed to float on air.  Thayne definitely got screwed with two female partners not at his level.  For the solos, I think he and Twitch beat Will handily--Will's started out brilliantly, but the last 15 seconds or so he looked like he was flailing.  But no way they're going to cut The Golden Child with Ms. Allen sitting in the audience, so there it is.  I think the judges were right on (and props to them for being bluntly honest) that they wished they could've cut two females this week and kept all the men.  At least Thayne can know that he got bumped on a technicality and due to favoritism, not because of his lack of talent or effort.

Gev and his partner ROCKED that samba last night to the Rhianna cut--I've watched it 4 times now, and the judges called it: it's not the most technically perfect number, but nothing was more entertaining.  Still, I think Joshua and Katie may be the pair to beat--and Joshua's getting sexier each week, what's up with that?  (Mark would be sexier if, for me, he'd stop contorting his face so much into weird expressions.)  And props to Cat Deely, a truly stunning young woman who exudes class and good spirits and is a sensational host; Ryan Seacrest must plotz every time he sees her.

Average (1 vote):
see individual ratings
db's picture

Will & Debbie Allen

I do agree, though I think Will is a good dancer I don't think it's fair being that his "mentor" Debbie Allen is associated with the show.  Even if she's not actually judging they cut to her so many times and she was in on the session when he auditioned.
karen's picture

Sad Day

I was preparing my happy dance for when Comfort finally left. I hated her since her audition, but I couldn't dance or celebrate. My heart was broken for Thayne. It was sad to see him go. I loved his dancing. He was my favorite in the auditions and in the Las Vegas audition round. I was really pushing for him. I wish, as Nigel mentioned last night, that he could stay and Jessica would leave. I wouldn't mind a male-male partnership. I don't think anyone would considering how much people seem to hate Jessica. Could you imagine Will and Thayne dancing a contemporary routine together? That would be amazing.

Damn Quickstep. Why do they insist on keeping it in the competition? Its like the kiss of death. Its not that interesting to watch when professionals perform it and beginners just suck. No one in the history of the show has done well with the quickstep. Unbelievable.

 

Average (1 vote):
see individual ratings
bambino italiano's picture

Thanks for the recap Dan!

Growing up as kids, my sister and I watch quite a bit of bollywood movies. I can't heap enough praises on both Joshua and Katee, the fingers movement the hand gestures, the legs,  the head and the body movement. A testament to how great the two dancers are to be able to learn unfamiliar dances in hours.                            Perhaps Thayne reminded the judges too much of Travis from season 2. They wanted to see someone different to compete in top ten. I still think Travis is a much better dancer than Thayne.                                                                                                      Maybe it's just me, I felt that the judges are starting to tear down the early favorites like Mark, Joshua and Twitch, so that they can usher Will to be this year's favorite dancer. I ve sense favoritism by the judges towards Will since the auditioning round. No question Will perhaps is the most refine and professional dancer among the men this year, sort of like Danny last year. But perhaps the name attached to Debby Allen makes the difference. But I find Will lack the personality of the other remaining male dancers. I would rather see Katee take it all this season. Just because she has yet to faltered so far.

Maryann1970's picture

Thayne & Katee

Katee is now, officially, my favorite on sytycd with joshua holding a close second. I busted out laughing when katee started hoping around in the indian clothes, I dont know why, but it just looked sooooooo funny, but it was good. I didnt want thayne to go, to be honest. I think he was just paired with the wrong person, twice now, which means he got totally screwed. the comment Nigel made about him wishing that it had been 2 other dancers instead was really, really mean, and it sounded meaner than anything simon cowell has ever said. when he made the comment I gasped. I felt so sorry for comfort and thayne. that was just too mean. but yeah, my favorite is Katee, every performance from her is consistent. plus in despite of what she thinks, I think she's  gorgeous.
Average (2 votes):
see individual ratings
springintoaction's picture

Great recap Dan, and I finally picked my SYTYCD bf .....

I was not a huge Katee fan in any way, especially after she made it onto the show. Kudos to the judges for seeing her potential as she has blossomed and I love seeing the way Joshua brings out the best in her. Have you noticed his praising how hot she is as they are about to go on? What a cool/smart guy. Will has been trying with Jessica but she's no Katee although I think that the poor girl got slammed too hard by Mia on Will carrying her through the competition.

I like my women crazy and opinionated but I think Mia crossed into Jackie Warner territory with dissing Jessica so broadly. I'd pick her ANY day over Comfort as Jessica has athleticism, a strong work ethic and her insecurity has actually helped her emote. Comfort just looks dazed and confused.

After much debate, I have finally dumped Neil and my SYTYCD bf will be Gev. Mark is already way over-spoken for and second choice Will needs a little more than a smile to please me. If he had Joshua's kindness, he's be IT. Pasha was looking quite sexy, and not to be too catty but is Anya pregnant? No he didn't.....

I think that it hurts Will and the show to have Debbie Allen around in any capacity and should simply agree to call it a day with the show for this season. The judges commentary at the start of the show would have been an insult to other dancers should the choices not been so clear about who would/should go home. I think that Will has a great deal more going on that Danny did when it comes to connecting with the audience. To make it a short rant, I think Debbie is hurting Will rather than helping him as it can make some forget that he's the real deal.

While I am like rain man when it comes to remembering irrelevant details, I don't recall partners changing last season. Do they pick one from a hat on a weekly basis or are they reassigned to another dancer? Help!!!!!

Picking favorites in this show is so hard as there are some individuals who are so talented, yet some of the most amazing feats have been accomplished by couples who bring like to routines in ways that even the possibly two most talented dancers could not.

Nigel needs to have the bottom of his teeth blackened as now that he has tamed that mane of hair, he scares me more. It's weird how he can be so classy and obviously trying to raise the bar on the show (via Bollywood and the like), and at the same time come of as some kind of wannabe playa' as he makes lewd/complimentary comments towards both the men and women and seems to be holding back (sometimes unsuccessfully) making comments that could be perceived as homophobic. The guy was a dancer.....

Guillermo's Media Guillotine: Entertainment, journalism, politics, and popular culture.

http://springintoaction.typepad.com

db's picture

Debbie Allen

Debbie is responsible for some of the most mind boggling dance moments ever--the "Shindler's List" tap dance, the extended Nell Carter Alladin fat joke, all the dance on the Fame television show.  I agree that having her involved lends a sense of derision to the drecedings.

I'm not sure where Nigel is coming from.  I know he was a dancer.  Apparently he was married at one point.  He often makes comments that I find uncomfortably close to homophobic.  His dreweling over these young dancers is often really creepy.  I wonder because in my long past dancing years straight male dancers were usually pretty cool, whereas closeted gay dancers got really freaked out by "effeminate" male dancers.  It makes me wonder.

Kong Chang's picture

top 10 people

springintoaction wrote:

 

While I am like rain man when it comes to remembering irrelevant details, I don't recall partners changing last season. Do they pick one from a hat on a weekly basis or are they reassigned to another dancer? Help!!!!!

When the group dwindles down to the top 5 couples (or 10 people in this case), they change partners by a draw from a hat.  Each week, the gender that picks from the hat changes, and the one that gets picked draws from another hat their dance style they have to learn for their competition.

The good part is that the judges don't make the cuts anymore.  It's now up to America to vote to keep their favorites in.  The one guy and the one girl with the lowest votes will get sent home.  I think that everyone of them gets to do their solos too.

KC

Maintainer of Luke MacFarlane Online
wagville's picture

Mouthy McLythium

That's my new name for Nigel, with all that bipolor ranting he's been doing lately.

For all of you Thaynnnnne lovers, it should make you feel a little better to know that he will be going on the tour (and he cried when Mouthy announced it after the show on Thursday).

 

 

SYTYCD recaps on my blog, Multiple Personality.

karen's picture

Smiles All Around

I am SO happy. That just makes my day. I could just dance (but I won't). YEA for Thayne!
matthewpauldavid's picture

Nigel Lythgoe is creepy

Ok - you MUST watch this:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3Kz6TN_pUI&feature=related

You'll see Nigel about 25 seconds in (in the black cape and the big stick) and the rest of the performance basically features him singing and dancing.  This is from his "dancing" days and is the weirdest thing I've ever seen.  It's like a strange hybrid of those awful American Idol group numbers and the SYTYCD group pieces.  Ding Dong. Ding Dong.  Apparently this is what qualifies Nigel to be a judge on the show?  Anyway it's something that is not to be missed by anybody!

PS My favorite part is when all the men awkwardly flip Nigel around and then slowly carry him off the stage like some sort of human sacrifice.  God this video is classic!

Average (1 vote):
see individual ratings
springintoaction's picture

OMG - Mr. Matt this video is like looking at death in the face

What a find!!! Kudos! I almost mini-puked when I saw Nigel's stank feet when he was lifted mid-air by a mess that looked like a satanic ritual, except that it was boring and suffered from everything that Nigel would rag on. It reminds me of the most whacked out video ever, which would actually make for a good musical. God Warrior woman any one?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCh2FXzD6R4

I guess that I should do the research on Nigel but he had to have some cash and or celebrity status as he was the belle of the ball in that sub-par number.

Guillermo's Media Guillotine: Entertainment, journalism, politics, and popular culture.

http://springintoaction.typepad.com

Tyler's picture

Dance for your life... kinda

Why call the solos on the second night "dance for your life" if the better dance solo doesn't save them? I mean I wasn't the biggest Comfort fan but Jessica's solo was by far the worst. She can almost never hold her balance! I think she IS a great girl with a strong work ethic but she is the weakest. I would feel bad for Thane but Mia said she would hire him, and I totally think she will!!! He's got a career no matter what!

User login

Recent comments

After Elton home page on logo online